Effect of high school students' knowledge of child development and child health on approaches to child discipline.

Because there is an association between the lack of knowledge of normal child development, high and unrealistic expectations for a child's performance, and child abuse, a questionnaire about normal child development, child health maintenance, child discipline aspects of childrearing, and child development was given to a representative sample of high school students in Iowa. Though high school students in Iowa rank high in academic performance, the results of this study indicated that students in grades 9 through 12 had a poor knowledge of child development and child health maintenance. Students whose highest probability of response to a child discipline problem was either to punish or abuse knew less about child development and child health maintenance than their peers. Boys at all grade levels knew less about child development and child health maintenance and were more likely to choose punishment and abuse than girls. Though the causes for child abuse are multifactorial and complex, there is a need to guarantee that all who are at risk for parenthood be informed about child development, child health maintenance, and child discipline to minimize the effects that ignorance of these factors may have on their approaches to discipline and their potential for child abuse.