Determinants of the use of violence against children: Evidence from Peru

Abstract: This research carried out an assessment on the socioeconomic factors related to the use of violence (psychological aggression and physical assault) against children within the family context, and the extent to which childrearing patterns can be transmitted across generations. The sample under study consisted of 13,205 observations from mothers in all regions of Peru and their children aged 1 to 5 years old. The findings indicated that family wealth and mother’s occupation were the main socioeconomic predictors in the likelihood of the use of violent childrearing patterns, and that the psychological aggression and physical assault experienced by mothers while growing up, had a significant influence on their own disciplinary methods used against their children.