Exploring Discipline Strategies of Pakistani Parents: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

The current study examined the discipline strategies of Pakistani parents. To gain insight into parental discipline strategies, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants. The age range of participants was from 18 to 25 years, and these participants were all raised by Pakistani parents. The findings of this study resulted in seven super themes that are: 1) Corporal Punishment & Harsh Discipline, 2) Positive & Negative Approaches in Parenting, 3) Parental Favoritism & Biasness, 4) Influence of Family Dynamics, 5) Impact of Digital & Non-Balanced Approach, 6) Parenting Challenges & Needs, and 7) Parent-Child Emotional Disconnection. The findings of the current study highlighted that many Pakistani parents used harsh discipline strategies such as corporal punishment, verbal reprimand, withholding food, locking in a dark room, and emotional neglect. Such strategies often created fear, communication barriers, and led children to hide their true feelings and matters, causing long-term emotional distress. Whereas this study also revealed positive strategies such as positive reinforcement, appreciation, and open communication, however, these were less commonly used. Moreover, positive strategies to discipline encourage parent-child relationships and give positive outcomes. The findings of this study highlight how discipline strategies of Pakistani parents are influenced by cultural norms, parental stress, and lack of awareness about healthy and positive discipline strategies.

Keywords: Parental Discipline, Parenting Approach, Discipline Strategies, Child Behavior Regulation, Pakistani Parents, Thematic Analysis, Cultural Context