Project 6 Research Report

Project 6 P a g e | 1 Running Head: SPANKING ATTITUDES OF TUSKEGEE

Spanking Attitudes of Tuskegee University Students Jazmine Norwood Tuskegee University April 17, 2009 McArthur

Project 6 P a g e | 2 Introduction Spanking has been a debatable topic for many years. Many believe that it should be considered a crime and others believe that it is a way to keep children under control. Both of these views mat be correct but only depending upon the degree to which spanking is taking place. This research was conducted to view the attitudes/beliefs that Tuskegee University had on spanking. We would be able to see how students felt about certain questions and how their age, gender, or religion made a difference in their opinion or belief. This research plans to measure Tuskegee University students’ attitudes on the forms of discipline, agreeing with discipline tactics used while growing up, how spanking made them feel, and what their attitude on spanking their own children would be. By conducting this research there is a possibility that results will show that age, gender, and/or region make a difference on how Tuskegee University students feel towards spanking. Results

Age

Table 1 Age of Respondents Frequency Percent

17-20 22 44.0% 21-23 18 36.0% 24 and older 10 20.0% Totals 50 100.0% ______________________________________________________________________________ Table 2 Sex of Respondents Sex Frequency Percent Male 15 30.0% Female 35 70.0% Totals 50 100.0% ______________________________________________________________________________

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Table 3 Region of Respondents Region Frequency Percent East Coast West Coast North South Totals

3 6.0% 11 22.0% 7 14.0% 29 58.0% 50 100.0% Table 4 Do you think it is okay to spank children as a means of discipline? Responses Frequency Percent Yes No Totals

44 88.0% 6 12.0% 50 100.0% Table 5 Did your parents spank you as a means of discipline? Responses Frequency Percent Yes No Totals

46 92.0% 4 8.0% 50 100.0% Table 6 Do you agree with the forms of discipline your parents/guardians used? Responses Frequency Percent Yes No Somewhat No response Totals

38 76.0% 4 8.0% 7 14.0% 1 2.0% 50 100.0% Table 7 What type of punishment/discipline did your parents use when you were growing up? Form used Frequency Percent Time-outs 8 16.0% Not disciple. 3 6.0% Grounding 3 6.0% Lecture 3 6.0% Yelling 4 8.0% Beating 18 36.0% Other 11 22.0% ______________________ _____________________________________________________

Project 6 P a g e | 4 Table 8 When you were punished, did it make you feel that your parents/guardians didn’t love you? Responses Frequency Percent Yes No Sometimes Totals

7 14.0% 32 64.0% 11 22.0% 50 100.0% Table 9 As a child, do you think spanking made you feel that it was all right to hit others? Responses Frequency Percent Yes No Somewhat Totals

6 12.0% 43 86.0% 1 2.0% 50 100.0% Table 10 What were you spanked with? Item Used Frequency Percent Hand 9 18.0% Hair Brush 2 4.0% Belt 28 56.0% Other 6 12.0% More than 1 2 4.0% All 3 6.0% Totals 50 100.0% _____________________________________________________________________________ Table 11 Will you spank your children? Responses Frequency Percent Yes 42 84.0% No 8 16.0% Totals 50 100.0% ____________________________________________________________________________

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Discussion Sex of Respondents

30% Male Female 70%

Age of Respondents

20%

44%

17-20 21-23 24 and older

36%

Region of Respondents

6% 22%

East Coast West Coast North

58%

South 14%

These three graphs represent the background variables sex, age, and region. For this research more females than males participated and the age range with the highest percentage was between

Project 6 P a g e | 6 the ages of 17-20. The respondents for region had the highest amount come from the South with the lowest being from the East Coast. Feel it is Okay to Spank

12%

Yes No

88%

Did Parents Spank Responsents w hen grow ing up?

8%

Yes No

92%

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Agreed w ith forms of Discipline Used?

14%

2%

Yes

8%

No Sometimes

76%

When Spanked did Respondent Feel no Love?

14%

22%

Yes No Sometimes

64%

When Spanked Did Respondents Feel it w as Okay to Hit Others?

2%

12%

Yes No Somew hat

86%

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Item Used for Discipline

4%

6%

18% Hand

12% 4%

Hair Brush Belt Other More than 1 All Items Used

56%

Will Respondent Spank Ow n Child?

16%

Yes No

84%

The first question asked was did respondents feel it was okay to spank children as a form of discipline and the results show that 88% of the respondents felt it was okay to do so. Next they were asked if they were spanked while growing up and 92% of participants said they did get spanked while growing up. 76% of respondents agreed with the discipline used by parents. When asked if the respondent felt like they were mot loved when disciplined 64% said no and 14% said yes. They were then asked if they felt that spanking made them feel it was okay to hit others and the results show that 88% said no. The item that was most used for disciplining was a belt and the second most item used was a hand. In the final question 84% of respondents said they would themselves spank their own children as a means of discipline. It seems that getting spanked as a

Project 6 P a g e | 9 form of discipline was understood as just that, not as a crime. Most respondents were disciplined by getting spanked and upon viewing how they turned out; they too feel it is okay to spank children as a means of discipline.

Okay to Spank by Sex 120

% Value

100 80 Yes

60

No

40 20 0 Male

Female Sex

Will Respondents Spank by Region 120

% Value

100 80 Yes

60

No

40 20 0 East Coast

West Coast Region

North

South

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% Value

Agree with Discipline Type by Age 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

17-20 21-23 24 and older

Yes

No

Somew hat

No Responses

Resonses

In the first graph we looked at how respondent felt about it being okay to spank by sex. The results show that all males questioned said it was okay to spank, where a little over 80% in females believed it was okay to spank. The results may have been due to woman being more willing to work out a less physical way to discipline children, where men were most likely to be brought with rough physical punishment and may want the same for their children. The next graph looks at if the respondents will spank their own children depending on the region they are from. The results show that participants from the North will spank their children followed by the South. The East Coast and the West Coast were about average in results when compared to each other. The final graph looks at if the respondents agreed with discipline type by age. The results show that the older participants had the highest percentage in agreeing with discipline type. All age levels ranked highest for the yes categories but the lowest was for the range of 17-20 in the yes category. This may be due to the change that society is making for corporal punishment and the younger generation will look more into non-physical ways to punish children.

Conclusion Overall the results show that most people feel it is okay to use spanking as a form of discipline and that it is not wrong. Looking at the items used it may seem harsh but it would depend to

Project 6 P a g e | 11 what degree the belt or any other item is used. It seems that gender does have an effect on how an individual would think about disciplining a child or whether they feel it is okay to spank. The results also showed that depending on what region an individual is from cause an effect in if they were disciplined at all; most respondents from the South said they were disciplined while growing up and they also agreed with the forms of discipline used.