Understanding the positive discipline practices of parents of children aged one-five years old in Aotearoa, New Zealand

Why we like this piece

Save the Children New Zealand has published this interesting exploration into the discipline practices parents choose to use and how they are informed in their choice of strategy.

Very little information exists on what strategies parents are using in their everyday parenting and how they are informed and supported in their practices. Based on the gap in information, Jacqui Southey, Child Rights Advocacy and Research Director for Save the Children, undertook research to explore the prosocial practices applied by parents of children aged one – five years in one area of New Zealand.

The focus on prosocial behaviours — that is, behaviours that benefit other people or society as a whole — is refreshing, and supports learning from healthy parenting roles. The research shares insights into parental discipline practices and key sources of support. Findings reveal the likelihood of a knowledge gap when it comes to parents feeling informed in their choices of discipline strategies and differences in how information is sourced based on gender.