Higher Levels of Harsh Parenting During the COVID-19 Lockdown in the Netherlands

• Published in: Child maltreatment Vol. 27; no. 2; pp. 156 - 162
• Main Authors: Sari, Novika Purnama, van IJzendoorn, Marinus H., Jansen, Pauline, Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian, Riem, Madelon M. E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-05-2022; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Abused children; Academic disciplines; Brief Report; Case-Control Studies; Child Abuse; Child abuse & neglect; Child Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Child Rearing; Children; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - complications; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - psychology; Humans; Infant; Netherlands - epidemiology; Obedience; Pandemics; Parenting; Parents; Parents & parenting; Propensity; Psychological distress; Quarantine - psychology; Shelter in place; Toddlers; Tolerance; Netherlands; child maltreatment; emotional maltreatment; propensity score matching; physical abuse; parenting
• ISSN: 1077-5595; 1552-6119
• DOI: 10.1177/10775595211024748

Previous studies on the impact of COVID-19 indicate that pandemic-related distress increases risks for child maltreatment, although data on the scope of this problem are still scarce. Here, we assessed whether parents with toddlers (n = 206) more often used harsh discipline during the lockdown in the Netherlands compared to a matched parent sample collected prior to the pandemic (n = 1,030). Parents were matched on background characteristics using propensity score matching. We found that harsh parenting levels were significantly elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels. Harsh parenting behaviors with a low prevalence before COVID-19 increased most strongly: shaking, calling names, and calling the child stupid. These results suggest that parental tolerance for children’s disobedience is lower under the adverse circumstances of COVID-19 and, as a result, abusive parenting responses are more difficult to inhibit. Thus, a lockdown seems to increase risks for child maltreatment, underscoring the need for effective support strategies for at-risk families.