La violence familiale dans la vie des enfants du Québec, 2018

This publication provides the results of a province-wide survey conducted in 2018 on parental attitudes and family behaviours regarding child discipline. This was the fourth edition of the survey. The report describes the current situation and the changes that took place between the four editions of the survey: 1999, 2004, 2012 and 2018.

Since 1999, this survey has measured the annual prevalence and frequency of violent parenting behaviours towards children (psychological abuse, minor or severe physical abuse). The survey results also reflect the opinions and attitudes of parents towards physical punishment as discipline. In 2018, certain measures related to exposure to spousal violence and negligent parental behaviours were updated. In addition, a new variable was added to measure children’s exposure to spousal violence during the perinatal period.

The survey studies several factors that can influence behaviours towards children, including child and parental characteristics, as well as family and socioeconomic characteristics. It also compares the attitudes of fathers and mothers and analyzes the factors associated with the behaviours reported.  

The data was collected through telephone interviews of 5,184 parents, including 3,984 mothers and 1,200 fathers living in private households with at least one child between the ages of 6 months and 17 years.