Portal of the Institute of Statistics has a new home: www.estadisticas.pr

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Almost half of child caregivers in Puerto Rico raise their children differently than they were raised.

Parenting Experiences Survey Reveals Generational Shifts in Discipline, Communication, and Family Priorities

The Survey of Child Rearing Experiences in Puerto Rico revealed, among other data, that 48.6% of surveyed caregivers use disciplinary styles different from those they experienced with their own parents, reflecting a possible generational shift in parenting practices and in how Puerto Rican families approach the upbringing, communication, and well-being of children.

The study, developed through an alliance between ESCAPE, the Family Strengthening Center, and the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, collected the experiences, challenges, and needs of 1,143 voluntary participants via a self-administered online questionnaire conducted between February and June 2025. The survey was descriptive in nature and explored topics related to parenting experiences, discipline and communication, technology and quality time, as well as support needs and expectations for children's futures.

Among the most relevant findings of the survey are:

• More than two-thirds of respondents stated that parenting is more difficult or much more difficult than they expected.

• The main challenge identified was achieving a work-life balance (62.3%).

• 44.3% cited lack of personal time and rest as one of their biggest challenges.

• 41.6% expressed a need for tools to manage stress and their own mental health.

• 57.2% reported arguments related to the use of technological devices at home.

• 4% identified the use of physical aggression as a disciplinary strategy.

• 94% of participants indicated that they praise their children's achievements "almost always" or "always."

• Most participants defined discipline as a formative tool for teaching values and setting clear boundaries.

The survey also reflected that caregivers prioritize the development of self-esteem and self-confidence, responsible decision-making, and healthy emotional management for children's futures.

"The information collected allows us to better understand how family dynamics are changing and what real challenges are faced by those responsible for raising children in Puerto Rico. This data is fundamental for developing more effective public policies, programs, and interventions tailored to the current needs of Puerto Rican families," stated Dr. Orville M. Disdier Flores, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics.

Meanwhile, Yadira Pizarro Quiles, Executive Director of ESCAPE, highlighted that the results provide an important X-ray of families' emotional and structural needs. "This survey confirms the importance of continuing to strengthen families through prevention. Understanding how mothers, fathers, and caregivers are experiencing parenting allows us to better direct our efforts, develop support tools, and promote strategies that strengthen children's well-being and help prevent child abuse in Puerto Rico."

As part of the strategic recommendations derived from the study, it is proposed to strengthen emotional support initiatives for caregivers, promote flexible work policies, drive digital literacy campaigns at home, and expand preventive education efforts on parenting and those related to child well-being and protection.

The Survey of Child Rearing Experiences in Puerto Rico is available at the following link: www.estadisticas.pr.gov/productos/encuesta-de-experiencias-de-crianza-de-menores-en-puerto-rico-2025.

Free workshops and webinars at the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics

For government officials and the general public

Starting today, Wednesday, February 22, 2023, pre-registration begins for the free offer of workshops and webinars offered by the Statistics Institute of Puerto Rico. This virtual offer of nine workshops with 16 sessions and three webinars seeks to provide solutions in the access, management and analysis of government statistical data and is carried out with rigor and quality in the development of content that is carried out by specialists.

The online format offers the opportunity to participate to government officials and the general public, since the format is asynchronous, that is, within the time available to the participant. In the same way, multiple sessions are included, allowing participants the flexibility to enroll on those dates that are most convenient. Interested individuals can complete pre-enrollment at Academy

The topics included are:

• • • R statistical analysis software: one of the most commonly used open-access and user-friendly software for Data analytics and Data Science.
      • R basic: introductory workshop to help publicize and facilitate the adoption of this programming language for people interested in strengthening their resources for the processing, analysis, visualization and presentation of their statistical research.
      • RStudio: introduction to the integrated development environment (IDE, in English) for managing R, in the analysis, visualization and presentation of statistical analyses.
      • Tidycensus: R library that facilitates the access and processing of data from the U.S. Census Bureau, such as the Census, population estimates and the Community Survey.
    • Tableau Public: free platform that allows the use of interface commands to explore, create and publish data and visualizations online.
    • Resources from the U.S. Census Bureau:
      • Population and housing data: presentation and performance of practical exercises on the tool https://data.census.gov/ to search for data on population and housing in Puerto Rico.
      • Access to microdata from the Community Survey: tool for customizing variable crosses for the analysis of population and housing data in Puerto Rico.
      • QGIS for analyzing data by geographical regions: QGIS is an open source Geographic Information System (GIS). Together with data from the U.S. Census Bureau, maps can be generated to analyze housing, economic, social and demographic issues.
    • Resources from the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics:
      • Cost of Living Index and Calculator: presentation of a publication and Web App that allows us to compare the cost of living in Puerto Rico and different urban areas of the United States.
      • The Violent Death Surveillance System in Puerto Rico: project presentation and publication of data on violent deaths from a health perspective.

On the other hand, webinars are live sessions, in which participants can connect via the Internet to a platform where they can see and hear the speaker and ask the speaker questions after the session is completed.

The topics of the three webinars, with a capacity of 1,000 participants each, are:

• Dominican population in Puerto Rico and its contrasts with the Puerto Rican population, 2015-2019: exposure to the microdata files of the U.S. Census Bureau and an example of their application to the study of the sociodemographic profile of the Dominican population living in Puerto Rico.
• Geographic Delimitations of the U.S. Census Bureau: guidance on the various geographical levels used by the U.S. Census Bureau for the presentation of its data.
• Violence and Femicide in Puerto Rico - Concepts and Statistics: aimed at advising participants on the importance of statistics on gender-based violence and femicide from a health perspective.

To access all the details of the Academies and Workshops Program, see Here.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is a governmental entity in the executive branch, with fiscal and administrative autonomy, whose main purpose is to ensure that Puerto Rico has complete, reliable statistics that are quickly and universally accessible. To learn more about the Institute of Statistics, you can access the website: www.estadisticas.pr.gov. On social media through Facebook accounts (@statistics.pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR), Instagram (@institutodeestadisticas) and LinkedIn (Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics).

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