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Parental Self-Confidence, Parenting Styles, and Corporal Punishment in Families of ADHD Children in Iran

NCJ Number
218958
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 31 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2007 Pages: 567-572
Author(s)
Hamid Alizedeh; Kimberly F. Applequist; Frederick L. Coolidge
Date Published
May 2007
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This study explored the relationships among parental self-confidence, warmth, and involvement, and corporal punishment in families with children who have attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Iran.
Abstract
Results indicated that in comparison to control subjects, parents of children with ADHD had lower self-confidence and demonstrated less warmth and involvement with their children. Parents with children with ADHD also used corporal punishment significantly more often than parents of control children. The findings may suggest that children with ADHD are at increased risk of abuse by their parents. In terms of treatment, the authors recommend assessing the parenting styles of parents who have children with ADHD and use treatments that bolster both parents’ self-confidence in dealing with their children. Parents should also receive education regarding the ineffectiveness of corporal punishment. Future research should focus on whether corporal punishment and its short- and long-term consequences in Iranian families differ from that in other cultures, particularly in comparison to Western societies. Participants were 125 families who had a child attending public elementary school in Tehran, Iran. The sample consisted of 65 students diagnosed with ADHD (unmedicated) and 60 control subjects demonstrating no symptoms of ADHD. The control subjects were closely matched to the ADHD group in terms of demographic characteristics. The research procedure involved having teachers complete the Conners’ Teacher Rating Scale for any child suspected of having the disorder. The DSM-IV-TR was then used as a diagnostic tool to confirm the diagnosis. Parents of both the ADHD and the control groups completed a questionnaire measuring their parenting styles and dimensions. Data were analyzed using three-way ANOVA. Tables, references