Evangelical Christian counselor's perceptions about the use of corporal punishment in the parenting of children: A phenomenological study

Since the early years of the profession, counselors have been trained to consider what defines healthy parenting (Corey, 2008). One specific culturally sanctioned parenting norm in the United States is the use of corporal punishment, with reports of over 90% of parents using this form of discipline (Straus, 2010). A wide variety of subcultures exist within professional counseling, including Christian counseling. Perspectives can range from conservative to liberal on the philosophical and theological continuum (McMinn et al., 2010). This qualitative research study focused specifically on professional evangelical Christian counselors. This subgroup typically enters the process of becoming a counselor with a presupposition that corporal punishment is a method of disciplining children that is ordained by God and supported by their interpretation of Biblical passages (Tan, 2011). Many Biblical scholars are currently debating this traditional interpretation and evangelical Christian counselors may benefit from a revitalized hermeneutic by integrating the critical analysis presented through current social science research about this topic (Webb, 2011). The conventional Evangelical perspectives are in conflict with the dominant perspective in the discipline of counseling psychology that presents a plethora of research that documents the harmful effects of this parenting custom (Spencer, 2012). This study explored how perceptions of evangelical Christian counselors are formulated personally and professionally regarding the use of corporal punishment as a parenting practice.