2026 · Study · English
Parental Warmth as a Moderator Between Family Conflict and the use of Corporal Punishment: Adolescents’ Perspectives
Valenzuela, N., Trujillo, A., & González, M. R.
Valenzuela, N., Trujillo, A., & González, M. R. (2026). Parental Warmth as a Moderator Between Family Conflict and the use of Corporal Punishment: Adolescents’ Perspectives. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 19(3), 1743–1753. doi.org/10.1007/s40653-026-00867-6
Summary
Cross-sectional study from Colombia examining, from adolescents’ own perspective, whether parental warmth weakens the link between family conflict and corporal punishment. A sample of 3,279 adolescents aged 10–19 from six municipalities in the department of Cundinamarca completed the Communities That Care Youth Survey. Multiple linear regression and moderation analysis showed that higher parental warmth buffers the association: as perceived warmth increases, the effect of family conflict on the use of physical punishment decreases. The authors draw implications for interventions and public policy aimed at reducing harsh discipline in Colombia. Because the design is cross-sectional and relies on adolescent report, the direction of the effects cannot be established. The study illustrates a secondary use of CTC survey data that European sites could replicate: the family-domain scales gathered for community planning also allow analysis of protective processes within families, here pointing to warmth as a modifiable lever.