Change in child disciplinary practices in the Dominican Republic between 2014 and 2019 : Implications for SDG indicator 16.2.1

Abstract

Key findings: In the Dominican Republic, the prevalence of 3 of 6 physical punishments were significantly higher in 2019 compared to 2014 for both 1-4- and 5–14-year-olds, with spanking for the latter demonstrating the largest absolute increase (from 22.9% to 29.1%). In contrast, prevalence of the 2 “psychological aggression” practices (yelling, name calling), significantly dropped for 5–14-year-olds. Additionally, there were significant increases in the prevalences of 2 of the 3 “non-violent” disciplinary practices for both age groups, with the largest increases for “taking away privileges”, particularly for 5-14-year-olds, increasing from 58.4% to 71.6%.