Corporal Punishment has been
prevalent in most parts of Africa. It has been experienced by a large majority
of children through physical punishment, mental harm and indirectly physical
harm. Corporal punishment has been viewed to be a remedy with regards to the
disciplining of an African child and it
has been justified through legal policies, religious and cultural norms in
African societies. However to a larger extent it has inflicted more harm than
good thus infringing the well-being of a child as it gives birth to
delinquency, cycle of violence, anxiety among others.
The concept of corporal punishment
has been looked at and explained from different vantage points. Thus, there is
no single universally agreed upon definition of corporal punishment. According
to Strauss (1994a, as cited in Gershoff, 2002), corporal punishment “is the use
of physical force with the intention of causing a child to experience pain but
not injury for the purposes of correction or control of the child’s behavior.”
The Society for Adolescent Medicine (1992, p. 240) refers to corporal
punishment as the “intentional application of physical pain as a method of
changing behavior. It includes a wide variety of methods such as hitting,
slapping, punching, kicking, pinching, shaking, choking, use of various
objects…painful body postures, use of electric shock, use of excessive drills
or prevention of urine or stool elimination.” In the same vein, Cohen (1984, as
cited in Paintal, 1999) saw corporal punishment as a painful, intentionally
inflicted physical penalty administered by a person in authority for disciplinary
purposes. He further explained that corporal punishment can occur anywhere on the
body, and whippings, beatings, paddling, and flogging are specific forms of
corporal punishment.
In simple terms corporal punishment
can be defined as violence inflicted on children by parents, teachers, cares
and others as a method of changing behavior. It includes a wide variety of
methods such as hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, pinching to mention but a
few. For example the use of corporal
punishment in South Africa is common. Parents use many different methods that
range from smacking and spanking to kicking, punching, beating with objects and
pushing. 57% of parents surveyed in a recent South African national survey on
corporal punishment reported smacking or spanking their children with a hand
while 33% beat their children with a belt or other object, very young children
are the most likely to be hit and beaten. 28% of South African Teachers
surveyed in 2005 admit to using corporal punishment.
Different
societies attempt to shape children in different ways. Zimbabwean society and
indeed any other African cultures have historically relied on the use of
physical violence and or the threat of violence to discipline children. Corporal
punishment has been the preferred tool for shaping children`s behavior.
In this regard corporal punishment has proved to be a necessary evil as long as
it is done in moderation.
Corporal
punishment is not advantageous to the African child. Due to the use of corporal
punishment the cycle of violence has been prevalent in African societies.
McCard (1996) postulates that physical punishment instills pain in children and
with that it may lead the child to believe that it is preferable to treat
others violently and cause harm to others. This is notably why there are so
many violent children in Africa, because we have parents who spank and hit
their children and this is what they see all the time. Children are going to do
what they have seen done to them their whole lives and this vicious cycle of
physical punishment is kept in swing. According to the Cultural Spillover
Theory (Baron and Status 1987) the more we as a society use force to secure a
pleasing end the more we will have individuals who will use force to attain
their goals thus teaching children that force is a better instrument to use in order
to achieve intended goals. Therefore violence begets violence and to this end
corporal punishment has to be abolished totally.
There
is a strong presumption that inflicting physical pain on people including
children is morally wrong. Since we are in a more humanitarian era, critics now
postulate that there is need for transition from the painful attacks of
corporal punishment to the emotional and mental development difficulties of the
children (Miller 2010). Corporal punishment has led to physical harm and later
on to death. Children have the right to security of the person and also the
right to protection against child abuse and torture (article 16). This right is
infringed whenever another person inflicts physical violence on them. It also
violates another right that children have in common with adults, the right not
to suffer degrading punishments. Children who suffer physical pain at the hands
of someone on whom they depend may feel severe humiliation. Physical violence
due to corporal punishment leads to premature death of children therefore
infringing (article 5) of the African Charter which stipulates that every child
has an inherent right to life. Therefore the rights of children must be fully
recognized by both the state and parents, in this regard corporal punishment
has to be abolished.
Corporal punishment exists in large parts of
Africa as a result of its customary use throughout the ages. However its
longevity in the culture of the African culture cannot be a hindrance in
abolishing such practice. The African Charter (article 21) states that every
child has the right of protection against harmful, social and cultural
practices. Cultural practices that affect the welfare, normal growth and the
development of the child should be prohibited and in this case corporal
punishment is not an exception.
Rape
cases are now prevalent amongst children, boys being perpetrators of such
inhuman act. Statically it has been proven that there are 19,7 percent rape
cases among children. White and Smith (2004) argue that there is a relationship
between childhood victimization experiences and sexually coercive behaviors
during adolescence. Children who suffered at the hands of corporal punishment
during childhood are at greater risk for sexual perpetration and other coercive
behaviours in high school. It is of greater importance to uphold the rights of
children today as this will lead to the attainment of positive social benefits
and not ignoring the fact that the realization of human rights has become the
cornerstone of development.
There
is also a significant relationship that exists between corporal punishment and
delinquency behavior among children. In many cases the only result is the
development of an attitude of resentment and fear. It has also been found to be
a factor in behavior such as bullying, running away from school, behavior
problems and involvement in crime as a child and young adult. There is need of
a mutual relationship between children and the elderly be it at home or at
school. However it is difficult to achieve this mutual respect with the use of
corporal punishment.
Children
are rather leaders of today and the future. There are noted responsibilities
which are accrued to a child. According to the African Charter (article 31) it
is the responsibility of a child to serve the national community by putting
their physical and intellectual abilities at its service. However the effects
of corporal punishment in this case may be life long as children who
experienced corporal punishment are less likely to graduate from college and to
have high status in the society resulting in them being perpetrators of crime.
How then can a child fulfill his/her responsibilities and duties whilst the
children`s future has been affected when corporal punishment is practiced in
their early childhood.
Some
scholars argue that corporal punishment teach children how to behave but it has
been noted that it does not teach the later but rather than helping children to
develop the desire and motivation to
behave well of their own accord, it teaches them that it is desirable not to
get caught. This has a detrimental effect on children as they become violent.
To this end one can safely argues that corporal punishment is not to the
advantage of the African child. This also has led the African child to be easily
recruited in child soldiering and showing remorse when killing another fellow
African as the violent behavior of children who have experienced corporal
punishment will sprout up and persists in situations. It has been noted that
Africa has a high rate of child soldiers.
Archbishop
Emeritus Desmond Tutu said the following: “I support the Global Initiative to
eliminate all corporal punishment at home, at school, in institutions and
community. … Progress towards abolishing corporal punishment is being made, but
millions of the world’s children still suffer from humiliating acts of violence
and these violations … can have serious lifelong effects. Violence begets
violence and we shall reap a whirlwind. Children can be disciplined without
violence that instills fear and misery, and I look forward to church
communities working with other organizations to … make progress towards ending
all forms of violence against children. If we really want a peaceful and
compassionate world, we need to build communities of trust where all children
are respected, where home and school are safe places to be and where discipline
is taught by example. May God give us grace to love our children as He loves
them and may their trust in us lead them to trust in Him.”
Gershoff
(2002) also found that the quality of parent-child relationship is believed to be
damaged by corporal punishment. For example, corporal punishment is said to
evoke feelings of fear, anxiety, and anger in children which can affect the way
children relate with their parent. There’s also the tendency of corporally
punished individuals to exert the same kind of behavior towards one’s own child
or spouse. In other words, they may view violence, aggression, or hostile
behavior as legitimate ways of addressing conflict issues. Severe and too
frequent administration of corporal punishment can also lead to physical abuse.
Also, harsh punishment has been postulated to be significantly associated with,
and is specifically a potential source of stress, depression, and distress. In
fact, coercive techniques are said to decrease children’s feelings of
confidence while increasing their feelings of humiliation and helplessness.
Corporal
punishment is also detrimental for our society because it threatens democratic
values. Values are transmitted through example and parents are the first and
most important reference models for their children. Corporal punishment can
teach children to fear and avoid their parents and can no longer freely express
their views, therefore violating the right to freedom of expression (article 7)
of the African Charter .There are other ways to impose discipline which do not
involve the use of violence against children .Values such as tolerance,
dialogue, participation and respects must be part of our daily life and
experiences from the beginning.
Several
studies have been carried out to determine the effects of corporal punishment on
children. Gershoff (2002) conducted a meta-analysis of research to determine
the effects of parents’ use of corporal punishment on children. Corporal
punishment generally stops misbehavior in the short term, which confirms that
it is indeed effective in bringing about immediate compliance by children. But
it may not facilitate moral internalization. Moral internalization is taking
over society’s values and attitudes as one’s own, not for the fear of external
consequences, but for intrinsic reasons. Corporal punishment does not teach
children reasons to behave correctly, nor does it involve meaningful communication.
Rather, corporal punishment oftentimes teaches children the desirability of not
getting caught in their misbehaviors. Against this postulation it is crystal
clear that corporal punishment is not to the advantage of the child.
According
to Vockell (1991) corporal punishment is however for the betterment of the
upbringing of a child. He postulates that if the child or student perceives the
event of corporal punishment as unpleasant, this will minimize the likelihood
of repeated inappropriate behavior also it can be administered and completed
quickly. With regards to corporal punishment and deviant behavior, research has
indicated that it is not corporal punishment per se, but harsh corporal
punishment that increases a child`s risk of problem behavior. To this end when
physical punishment is used with a loving family environment it is effective in
reducing unwanted behavior without
increasing aggression, thus corporal punishment is to the advantage of the
African child as it brings about positive change to the children`s behavior. This
however contradicts Article 11 section 5 of the African Charter which states
that “State parties to the present Charter shall take all appropriate measures
to ensure that a child who is subjected to schools or parental discipline shall
be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the child
and in conformity with the present Charter.
African
parents believe that corporal punishment is part of the African culture of
child rearing practices (1992).There is a belief that corporal punishment
teaches respect, the belief that corporal punishment is the only thing some
children understand and that without corporal punishment behavioral problems
increases. Studies found that some cultures view the deliberate infliction of
pain on children as vital to the development of strength, endurance and
cultural allegiance (Anderson and Payne 1994). Similarly in some cultures
corporal punishment is viewed as an instrument used in teaching the child
values and norms of the society during the parenting process (Benetar 2004).
This has been supported by the biblical view of “spare the rod and spoil the
child”. In this regard one can safely argues that corporal punishment is
necessary for an African child as it serves to discipline the child to become a
responsible child since children are the leaders of tomorrow. However it is in
contrast with article 1 section 3 of the African Charter which states that “Any
custom, tradition, cultural or religious practice that is inconsistent with the
rights, duties and obligations contained in the present Charter shall to the
extent of such inconsistency be discouraged.
The
use of corporal punishment has been legally justified in many African
societies. Within the family, corporal punishment is in most countries
explicitly condoned in the law, giving parents active encouragement and
legitimacy in using it in bringing up their children. In Zimbabwe corporal
punishment is justified under section 20(3)of Children`s Act that if any child
is guilty of an offence and liable to a sentence of moderate corporal
punishment, not exceeding six strokes under the corporal punishment of male
juveniles. However corporal punishment in terms of this action shall be
inflicted in private. This is to an advantage of child in the event that a
child has been spared to serve as a community worker which could have deprived
the child to enjoy other rights accrued to the child such as protection from
child labour and also will not be susceptible to different types of diseases.
Therefore in this regard one can safely say that corporal punishment is to the
advantage of African child though to a very limited extent.
From
the above discussion the evidence that corporal punishment is harmful to
children, adults and societies is overwhelming. It causes direct physical harm
to children and impacts negatively in the short and long run on their mental
and physical health, education and cognitive development. Far from teaching
children how to behave it impairs moral internalization, increases antisocial
behavior and damages family relations. Respect for children`s rights to
protection, health, development and education requires that all corporal
punishment of children be prohibited in law and eliminated in practice.
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