My overarching career goal is to contribute to the well-being of children by reducing the incidence of corporal punishment and child maltreatment. My main long term career objectives are to: a) Become an independent and innovative investigator in the field of child maltreatment prevention with a focus on reducing the prevalence of corporal punishment, b) Become a leader in the under-studied area of informing, developing and testing the effectiveness of community- and multi-level interventions (e.g., media-based and targeted campaigns) designed to alter social norms related to child maltreatment risk. To advance this line of research, I will pursue the following five training objectives to develop skills in: 1) conducting ethically and culturally competent child maltreatment research, 2) qualitative research methods, 3) advanced quantitative analytic and survey research methods, 4) translational research for developing community-level, social norms interventions, and 5) academic leadership. Five co-mentors will guide me in meeting these objectives with their expertise in child maltreatment research (Dr. Murray Straus), qualitative methods (Dr. Carl Kendall), advanced quantitative methods (Dr. Janet Rice), social norms research (Dr. William DeJong), and academic leadership (Dr. Tom Farley), respectively. These mentors will provide individualized guidance throughout my career development and research plans. The research plan has three specific aims: 1) Meta- analysis and review: To assess the effects of prior inten/ention efforts to change social norms relevant to child maltreatment risk and/or parents'use of corporal punishment, 2) Qualitative study: To explore issues relevant to informing theory, instrument, and intervention development regarding corporal punishment use and child maltreatment risk, and 3) Community-based survey: To explore associations and variations between perceived social norms about corporal punishment, related constructs, and use of corporal punishment. Follow-up applications will be prepared to conduct population-level norms'assessments and to develop and test an innovative community- or multi-level intervention designed to reduce use of corporal punishment and prevent child maltreatment.

Public Health Relevance

Child maltreatment jeopardizes the health of children and raises their risk for later problems such as drug use, smoking, obesity, depression, and intimate partner violence. This research will inform the development of a community-level intervention designed to shift social norms (i.e., attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors) regarding corporal punishment in order to reduce rates of child physical maltreatment and its sequelae.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research & Training (K01)
Project #
5K01HD058733-04
Application #
8299099
Study Section
Pediatrics Subcommittee (CHHD)
Program Officer
Maholmes, Valerie
Project Start
2009-08-01
Project End
2014-06-30
Budget Start
2012-07-01
Budget End
2013-06-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$114,908
Indirect Cost
$8,512
Name
Tulane University
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
053785812
City
New Orleans
State
LA
Country
United States
Zip Code
70118
Taylor, Catherine A; McKasson, Sarah; Hoy, Guenevere et al. (2017) Parents' Primary Professional Sources of Parenting Advice Moderate Predictors of Parental Attitudes toward Corporal Punishment. J Child Fam Stud 26:652-663
Taylor, C A; Al-Hiyari, R; Lee, S J et al. (2016) Beliefs and ideologies linked with approval of corporal punishment: a content analysis of online comments. Health Educ Res 31:563-75
Poole, Mary Kathryn; Seal, David W; Taylor, Catherine A (2014) A systematic review of universal campaigns targeting child physical abuse prevention. Health Educ Res 29:388-432
Taylor, Catherine A; Moeller, William; Hamvas, Lauren et al. (2013) Parents' professional sources of advice regarding child discipline and their use of corporal punishment. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 52:147-55
Lee, Shawna J; Taylor, Catherine A; Altschul, Inna et al. (2013) Parental Spanking and Subsequent Risk for Child Aggression in Father-Involved Families of Young Children. Child Youth Serv Rev 35:1476-1485
Taylor, Catherine A; Hamvas, Lauren; Rice, Janet et al. (2011) Perceived social norms, expectations, and attitudes toward corporal punishment among an urban community sample of parents. J Urban Health 88:254-69
Lee, Shawna J; Altschul, Inna; Shair, Sarah R et al. (2011) Hispanic Fathers and Risk for Maltreatment in Father-Involved Families of Young Children. J Soc Social Work Res 2:125-142
Taylor, Catherine A; Hamvas, Lauren; Paris, Ruth (2011) Perceived Instrumentality and Normativeness of Corporal Punishment Use among Black Mothers. Fam Relat 60:60-72