NZ Herald Digipoll on Smacking July 2009

Digipoll did a survey of 200 parents of 4-year-olds. The results are here.

• 61% of mothers smack their child occassionally
• 67% of fathers smack their child occassionally
• Most common punishment for mothers is sending to room at 71% and smacking is most common punishment for only 2% of mothers
• Most common punishment for fathers is sending to room at 63% and smacking is most common punishment for only 6% of fathers
• 95% of mothers reward good behaviour
• Onlu 9% of mothers breastfeed for over a year – down from 42% in 1997
• 40% of mothers never spent a night apart from their child for the first two years