A new research study released by UNICEF has unpacked the multifaceted social, psychological, and environmental drivers of violent discipline against children and adolescents across the Dominican Republic, while bringing to light a stark and alarming disconnect between what caregivers say they believe about physical punishment and how they actually practice parenting.
Data from the 2025 ENHOGAR-MICS survey reveals a striking contradiction: while just 12.1% of mothers and primary caregivers in the country say they view physical punishment as a necessary component of child-rearing, more than half — 54.9% — of all children aged 1 to 14 have been subjected to some form of violent discipline. This proportion climbs even higher for the 3 to 4 age group, where 61.4% of children have experienced violent punishment from their caregivers.
The study’s analysis confirms that violent discipline remains deeply entrenched in long-standing social norms that prioritize child obedience, uphold unquestioned adult authority, and enforce rigid expectations around childhood behavior. These harmful attitudes are often passed down through generations, with many caregivers adopting the same practices they experienced growing up. Additionally, the pressure to avoid being labeled as permissive or ineffective parents pushes many adults to rely on physical punishment, even when they personally do not support it.
UNICEF researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 431 Dominican residents across diverse communities to inform this work, analyzing more than 110 distinct variables to pinpoint not only the root contributors to physical punishment and psychological violence but also the systemic barriers that prevent the elimination of these harmful practices. The investigation also explored how intersecting factors including age, gender, disability, and racialization shape a child’s likelihood of experiencing violent discipline.
Beyond deeply ingrained social norms, the study identified caregiver stress, chronic exhaustion, overwhelming caregiving responsibilities, personal childhood upbringing, and inadequate living conditions as key additional factors that shape how caregivers respond to conflict with children. The research also notes that limited access to supportive resources and evidence-based tools for managing child behavior makes it far more challenging for families to adopt nonviolent alternative disciplinary strategies.
In its statement accompanying the study, UNICEF emphasized that all forms of physical punishment violate the fundamental dignity and human rights of children and adolescents. Beyond violating rights, violent discipline exposes children to toxic stress that can have long-term detrimental impacts, including altered brain development, poor health outcomes, impaired academic performance, and lifelong deficits to overall well-being.
To address the crisis of violent child discipline in the Dominican Republic, the study puts forward a roadmap for coordinated, multi-level action spanning legal frameworks, institutional policy, community engagement, and family support. Key recommendations include the introduction of explicit legal prohibitions on all forms of physical punishment and psychological violence against children, strengthened cross-sector coordination between child protection, public health, education, justice, and social protection agencies, and expanded access to practical and psychosocial support resources for families across the country.
The research also calls for a cultural shift toward greater shared responsibility among men in caregiving work, and increased, meaningful participation by children and adolescents in decisions that directly impact their lives and well-being. UNICEF underscored that reducing the prevalence of violent discipline requires more than just a rejection of harmful punishment practices; it demands a fundamental transformation of the social norms that continue to legitimize violence against children, paired with sustained investment to ensure all families have the tools, resources, and support they need to raise children in safe, nonviolent environments.