Physical Punishment in Childhood and Current Attitudes: An Exploratory Comparison of College Students in the United States and India

A cross-cultural comparison was made using ad hoc college student samples in the United States and India. Students responded to a questionnaire yielding data on their childhood punishment history, personal evaluations of that punishment, and current attitudes toward use of physical punishment in child rearing. The data indicate that the majority of both national groups reported having been physically punished as children, physical punishment appears to be condoned more by U.S. than by Indian students, and in both cultures, more physical punishment in childhood is associated with its greater acceptance in adulthood.