Corporal Punishment: Do children emerge into better adults without physical punishment?

Corporal Punishment: Do children emerge into better adults without physical punishment?

Have you ever thought that how you discipline your child may be a sign of how much you really care for them? This might be a difficult issue to pose, but once you understand why the biblical adage says you should “spare the rod and despise the child”, you will see why it is one that sorely needs attention. We may also not be unaware of the saying that children’s personal development will suffer if they are not physically disciplined when they misbehave. Even though there is a lot of concern about the harmful effects of physical punishment and how it may develop into abuse, it is still arguably one of the most effective ways of taming undesirable conduct.

From an African cultural perspective, parenting is seen as taking many different forms that might help the child grow up to be a responsible adult. There are ways that an African parent can raise a child such that the child would internalize the cultural values of the society and grow up to be a responsible adult. The African culture rightly teaches us that when kids are aware that the punishment they receive for misbehaving is proportional to their acts, they are better able to control their conduct, exercise self-control, and accept responsibility for their deeds. Also, according to some experts, physical punishment keeps kids from continuing their poor behaviour.

However, corporal or physical punishment has been widely condemned by individuals and laws of different countries. According to critics, corporal punishment is strongly opposed because of how frequently it is used and how severely it is applied. They often buttress their position with the provision of the Child’s Rights Act. Yes, all human rights accords indeed acknowledge that children have basic human rights, but the guarantee and implementation of those rights are dependent on regional understandings of what those rights entail and what constitutes abuse. For instance, corporal punishment of children in schools and homes, and as punishments for those who break the law is rarely seen as a human rights issue in Nigeria but is instead more often seen as the enforcement of cultural and moral values, essential for maintaining law and order and the moral upbringing of children in society.

No one is disputing the fact that children need to be protected, but most importantly, they also need to be disciplined. Therefore, those who oppose physical punishment are wrong to assert that it should never be used. Opponents of physical punishment typically come up with a flurry of arguments to back up their position. Some of the justifications often presented by people who oppose corporal punishment are that it promotes abuse, violence, and aggressive behaviour in children. The ultimate question, however, is: has avoiding corporal punishment reduced the violence in this world? And of course, without any preconceived opinion or feeling, children who were trained under the traditional system (corporal punishment) have on several occasions proven to be more disciplined, more productive in a workspace and grow up to become better individuals in society than those trained luxuriously.

However, no one is saying you should beat your child until you deform him or her. After all, raising your child/children is solely your responsibility; others may help but the work is entirely yours. Generally, children should understand that they are accountable for what they do. Prepare your child for the society they will be living in, for it is the absence of this that has created entitled adults who think the world owes them something. Children should always be allowed to be children!

Corporal Punishment: Do children emerge into better adults without physical punishment?