A new study led by Dr. Elisa Romano, professor at the University of Ottawa’s School of Psychology, shows that parents can learn to replace punishment with more positive discipline strategies.
The research evaluated the Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting (PDEP) program with 183 Canadian parents of children aged 2–6. Compared to a wait-list group, parents who completed the program reported:
- Less physical punishment (like spanking)
- Less emotional punishment (like isolation or removing activities)
- More proactive parenting (like preparing children for transitions and explaining rules)
These improvements lasted beyond the program, with changes still reported a month later.
“Parents are looking for alternatives to punishment that actually work,” says Dr. Romano. “Our research shows PDEP helps strengthen parent-child relationships while reducing harmful discipline practices.”
This is the first experimental evaluation of PDEP in Canada and highlights its promise as an effective, supportive approach for families.