Attitudes toward spanking children among Japanese hospital employees: The impact of being hit in childhood

BACKGROUND: Despite growing evidence of adverse outcomes, spanking remains prevalent worldwide. In April 2020, Japan banned corporal punishment by parents. This study investigated hospital employees' attitude toward spanking one-month post-ban. METHOD: A cross-sectional study using the Attitudes Toward Spanking (ATS) questionnaire was conducted in May 2020 at a general hospital in Japan; reports of history of being hit as a child were also collected. The sample was divided into three groups: currently engaged in child-rearing, previously engaged in child-rearing, and not-parents. Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine the associations between ATS scores and age, gender, education, occupation, and being hit in childhood. RESULTS: Over 80 % of the 805 Japanese hospital employees reported being spanked as a child. The mean ATS score (SD) was 31.5 (13.5) overall. ATS scores differed by frequency of spanking their own children: those who spanked had more positive views of corporal punishment than those who did not. Other variables associated with ATS scores included: being spanked in childhood [coefficient (95 % CI): 8.3 (5.8-10.8)], male gender [4.0 (1.7-6.3)], and nurses' occupation [-2.8 (-5.6 to -0.04)] and therapists/social workers [-9.1 (-13.3 to -4.8)] compared to administrative staff. Lower education levels predicted more favorable attitudes toward spanking among those who were not-parents. Physicians' attitudes did not differ from those of the administrative staff. CONCLUSION: A history of being hit in childhood was associated with more positive attitudes toward spanking among Japanese hospital workers, showing early experiences' lasting impact. Medical training did not affect attitudes toward corporal punishment, as indicated by the lack of a significant difference with the hospital's administrative staff. Targeting high-risk groups may help reduce spanking in these groups and in families who visit hospitals. Further research is necessary to investigate potential lags in attitude change after the national ban on corporal punishment.