MOSCOW, 08 August 2022. Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VCIOM) presents the findings of a survey describing the parenting tools that Russians use.

Today upbringing differs from that of our parents. This is due to many factors involving popularization of certain parenting practices, emergence of family therapy and child counselling, a fast-growing children's market, focus on child’s personality in education, public condemnation of certain parenting tools, change in conventional roles within a family, etc. But most importantly, information environment has changed bringing about new contents and narratives in the life of children and their parents. Despite that, instructions and moral advice remain to be the basic parenting tool: this is the way 62% of Russians were brought up by their parents, and this is the way three-quarters of parents raise their kids today (76%). This tool was experienced in the childhood of Russians with different demographics; less often rural area residents (52%) and older age Russians (55%).

Every third respondent was put in the corner in the childhood (30%) – they are often men rather than women (34% vs. 26%). Restrictions on walks and TV watching are also in top three tools (27%). Only 11% of older age Russians faced such restrictions in their childhood (vs 40-47% of those aged 18-34). This can be explained by the fact that the TV set was not in every house and there were not so many children's programs and animation. Physical punishment – slaps, flicks and slaps on the head - were common in the childhood of one-fifth of Russians (20-21%). This method was often used for boys (23-29% of men vs. 19-14% of women). Depriving of the pocket money is the least popular tool (11%), but respondents aged 18-34 mention it more often than others (21-18%).

And how do we bring up our children?

Today parents do not raise their children the same way as they themselves were raised. Instructions and moral advice are the most common parenting tool (76%) often used by parents aged 45-59 (81%), those who have higher education diplomas (85%) and who live in metropolitan areas (83%).

The second place is taken by screen time restrictions (less time on TV viewing, gadgets) and fewer walks (31% of respondents with children), which was previously held by putting children in the corner. Restrictions are popular with parents who have minor children (47%); parents with higher education (40%) and good income (35%).

Nineteen percent of modern parents put children in the corner (1.6 times less often compared to how they were raised). Those respondents who do not have children tend to consider this practice acceptable more often than others (24%). Physical punishment is less common among modern parents: 13% use slapping and slapping on the head (1.5 times less likely compared to how they were raised); 7% use belt punishment (3 times less often). Young parents aged 18-24 say that they do not use this type of punishment at all. Eight percent of parents deprive their children of the pocket money; in this group, 28% of those who do not have children are going to use this practice. There is a steady shift away from physical punishment towards conversations, instructions and restrictions. Upbringing models are getting increasingly humane, democratic, as abusive models fail to build trustworthy relationships with a child; so a vast majority of parents rely on conversations today.

Like father, like son

Despite changes in parenting tools, intergenerational upbringing practices within a family remain quite stable. Individuals raised in a certain way are more likely to raise their children in the same way. Those Russians who were brought up through instructions use them for their children (92% vs.76% of total parents). Adults who experienced restrictions regarding TV viewing or walks are twice as more likely to use the same for their children (62% vs. 31% of total parents). This pattern is also seen in other parenting styles: those who were put in the corner or slapped on the head are more likely to apply the same to their children (42-40%); this percentage is 2-3 times higher than the total number of parents (19-13%). Being hit with a belt increases your chances to apply the same to your children 3.5 fold (25% vs. 7%). Forty-three percent of those who were deprived of the pocket money in their childhood are more likely to do the same for their children (vs. 8% of the total number of parents).

VCIOM-Sputnik Russian nationwide telephone survey was conducted July 23, 2022. A total of 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over took part in the survey. Survey method: telephone interviews using a stratified random sample based on a complete list of Russian mobile phone numbers. The data were weighted for social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.

July 23, 2022 survey key effectiveness indicators: 1,600 respondents; cooperation rate (CR)* = 0.7502; minimum response rate (MRR)** = 0.0203; response rate (RR)*** = 0.1701. Calculations based on corporate standard: https://profi.wciom.ru/principy_standarty/korporativnyj-standart-po-izmereniyu-rezultativnosti-oprosov-sputnik-vciom/ 

* CR: the number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews and b) non-interviews with eligible respondents.

** MRR: the number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews, b) interrupted interviews after successful screening and c) all the respondents where it is unknown whether they meet the selected criteria or not.

***RR: RR is calculated in the same way as MRR, with the only difference that the number of respondents with unknown eligibility decreases proportional to the percentage of eligible cases in the total number of respondents with identified eligibility or non-eligibility.