Effects associated with punitive educational practices

systematic review of the literature

Authors

  • Júlia Cotica Universidade de Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
  • Dyenifer Luana Garbin Universidade de Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
  • Jéssica Limberger Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51207/2179-4057.20250019%20

Keywords:

Punishment, Children, Symptoms

Abstract

Parents, responsible for transmitting and providing the child’s first contacts with the world, have a significant role in the individual’s cognitive, psychological and social development. On the other hand, many parents are not prepared to educate their children, starting to use information and knowledge derived from the way they themselves were educated, so that the child’s behavior is often imposed and controlled through punishments. In this sense, the objective is to analyze empirical studies on punitive parental practices used in the education of children, in order to understand their associated effects. This is a systematic review of the literature. 16 articles from the period 2020 to 2024 were included in the research. The results suggest a diversity of repercussions associated with the use of physical punishment as a means of education, such as externalizing and internalizing symptoms, deficits in neurocognitive development and recurrence of violence. There is a discussion about the need to expand child protection networks, as well as the importance of adopting methods that do not use violence to educate. It is suggested that new studies use Brazilian samples, making it possible to compare the repercussions of child violence between different ethnic and cultural groups.

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Author Biographies

Júlia Cotica, Universidade de Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

Psicóloga

Dyenifer Luana Garbin, Universidade de Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

Discente

Jéssica Limberger, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

Psicóloga; Doutora em Psicologia Clínica

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Published

2025-08-15

How to Cite

Cotica, J., Garbin, D. L., & Limberger, J. (2025). Effects associated with punitive educational practices: systematic review of the literature. Psychopedagogy Journal, 42(128), 314–327. https://doi.org/10.51207/2179-4057.20250019

Issue

Section

Review Article