The Influence of Parenting Stress on Corporal Punishment Among Chinese Preschool Parents: The Mediating Role of Attitudes and the Moderating Role of Gender

Parenting stress is a prevalent challenge for preschool parents, closely linked to the use of corporal punishment (CP). However, the cognitive factors associated with parental attitudes toward CP and the potential gender-specific patterns in this association remain inadequately elucidated. The present study investigated the relationship between parenting stress and CP behaviors among Chinese parents of preschool children, focusing on the statistically mediating role of attitudes and the moderating effect of parental gender. A total of 2,257 mothers and 500 fathers of preschool children were recruited from a city in Hebei Province, China, through online standardized questionnaires in March 2025. Results revealed that parenting stress exhibited a positive association with CP behaviors ( r = .16; p < .001), and this relationship remained statistically robust after controlling for demographic variables. Critically, parental acceptance of CP partially and statistically mediated the relationship between parenting stress and CP behaviors, with the indirect effect accounting for 59% of the total effect. Furthermore, parental gender served as a significant moderator of the link between CP acceptance and actual CP behaviors. The positive association between CP acceptance and actual CP behaviors was significantly stronger in fathers ( b = 0.91, p < .001) than in mothers ( b = 0.68, p < .001). Gender did not moderate the direct pathway from parenting stress to CP or the pathway from parenting stress to CP attitudes. These findings highlight the inherent cognitive processes underlying stress-induced CP and the gender-specific characteristics of parenting practices, offering empirical evidence for targeted interventions.