CONSERVATIVE PROTESTANTISM AND SUPPORT FOR CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

Conservative Protestants disproportionately support the use of corporal punishment. We theorize that their relative enthusiasm for corporal punishment reflects the impact of three components of religious ideology: (1) an acceptance of the doctrine of biblical literalism; (2) the conviction that human nature (and hence the nature of young children) is inherently sinful; (3) and the belief that human sin demands punishment. These arguments about the religious roots of support for corporal punishment are evaluated using data from the 1988 General Social Survey. OLS and structural equation models generally confirm our theoretical model. The findings invite further research into the impact of religious factors on parental values and practices.