Vignette: Maura

Maura was a problem at school and at home. Her mother often waffled on punishing Maura when she misbehaved. Sometimes Maura’s mother would send her to time out, sometimes she would spank Maura, and other times she would scream at Maura. She often threatened to spank Maura for her frequent acts of misbehavior including her noncompliance (e.g., “No, I don’t want to pick up my clothes”), running about the house screaming at the top of her lungs, and throwing things, particularly at the television set. Maura’s mother was inconsistent indeed. The problem seemed to be getting worse.