Discipline or distress? Examining the impact of harsh child discipline on learning outcomes among Bangladeshi children

In Bangladesh, there is a high prevalence of harsh child discipline among children. Previous literature has shown a strong relationship between cognitive development and harsh parental discipline. This study examines the link between harsh disciplinary methods and children’s educational outcomes. This study examines whether harsh child discipline significantly affects children’s literacy and numeracy while controlling for mediating and moderating variables. The study utilizes data from the MICS 2019 survey in Bangladesh. The survey included eight variables representing the harsh child discipline the mother applies to the child. These variables and polychoric principal component analysis are employed to construct a Harsh Child Discipline Index (HCDI). Five indicators related to children’s numeracy and literacy levels were included. Negative Binomial regression was used to estimate how harsh child discipline impacts children’s numeracy and literacy levels, controlling for socio-economic variables. The findings demonstrate that, after controlling for mediating and moderating variables, increasing HCDI decreases the numeracy and literacy level of the child. The HCDI increased mistakes in reading and recognizing numbers by 20.3% (P value < 0.0010), 8.1% (P value < 0.0010) for comparing between numbers, 4.4% (P value < 0.0010) for finding the following number in the sequence, 22.6% (P value < 0.0010) in reading words, and 15.5% (P value < 0.0010) in answering reading comprehension questions. This study provides meaningful empirical evidence that harsh child discipline has a detrimental impact on children’s educational outcomes, underscoring the crucial role of nonviolent and supportive parenting in fostering better child development.