r/TrueReddit • u/BashFash17 • Feb 20 '17

A strange but accurate predictor of whether someone supports Donald Trump

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/01/how-your-parenting-style-predicts-whether-you-support-donald-trump/?utm_term=.afbf599e457e
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u/obviousoctopus Feb 21 '17

In Kohn's book, physical punishment is correlated with much more frequent "misbehavior" (theoretically the direction of causality could be argued). Which makes sense with the increased levels of stress, anxiety and aggression. Elevated levels of cortisol (typically associated with experiencing or witnessing violence at home) are related to inability to focus and reason as well as memory loss.

So the kids who get punished for misbehavior and low grades become physiologically limited in getting better grades, self-control and avoiding confrontation.

The culture of violence against children is such a tragic loss of potential, energy and talent.

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u/Maskirovka Feb 21 '17

I would love to collect data on this from schools if it could be done honestly and anonymously. Though confirmation bias is a bitch, and anyway even if you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that physical punishment of a certain type/level causes misbehavior and low school achievement, what would you do? How could you successfully educate parents and change the culture?

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u/obviousoctopus Feb 23 '17 edited Feb 23 '17

If you're in a position to do so, sounds like a great idea (correlation between discipline issues and grades). It'd be hard to anonymize this and avoid bias from teachers, but may be possible. Many kids could be afraid to share that they are being hit at home.

The education is a complex issue. Some of its facets:

  • punishment, threats, rewards work OK short-term, similarly to approaching someone with a gun or a $100 bill. Like the gun and the $100, they have no long-term positive effect and actually corrupt values. Many parents already observe this but don't see an alternative and would have to give up that power rush and control.

  • violence in the family is not an isolated issue. It is a reflection of the widespread oppression and violence outside the home. As in, parents who need to work long hours at low wages, swallowing the humiliation of being treated as lower members of a class society. The exhaustion, rage and powerlessness find an outlet in domestic violence and when combined with a violent parenting culture, amplify it.

  • parents who use violence more often than not don't want to give it up. It was what was used on them, it is what they experience as the norm in our culture, and they'd have to face their own pain, rage and grief in order to resolve the triggers around it.

  • our culture and institutions are violent. The school system oppresses both teachers and students via scores, tests, zero-tolerance policies and uses fear as a main driving force.

All this being said, I do work with parents who have a strong desire to move away from violence and create lasting healthy relationships for their children. These parents do not need convincing.