Summarize the reasons why parents physically abuse children, and explain how social conventions might indirectly contribute to this behavior.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

A good answer would include the following key points:
- Although most parents who abuse their children later express bewilderment and regret their behavior, one reason for child abuse is that the line between permissible and impermissible punishment is vague, such as when spanking becomes violent abuse.
- In the United States, spanking is seen as often necessary and desirable, and half of mothers with children younger than four admit they have spanked their child.
- In some cultures other than the United States, spanking is even more common.
- The privacy of childcare in the United States (such as being raised in individual households) also contributes to the propensity to use physical abuse.
- Such abuse is less prevalent in societies where several adults, or the society as a whole, are responsible for how children are raised.
- Finally, adults have unrealistic expectations for their children's behavior; these expectations can be fueled by societal pressures, assumed norms, advertising, and other forces.