Corporal Punishment: Do or Don't
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| Image from http://digitaljournal.com/article/255930 |
I am married but we do not have any kids. I know that the fact that we don't have any kids will be people's measuring stick as to whether or not I am knowledgeable enough to write about corporal punishment towards children. But I was also a child once, and I believe that this makes me eligible enough to write about corporal punishment.
MY PARENTS' EXAMPLE
I cannot understand why people equate corporal punishment to physical abuse. This is absolutely not true in our family. As far as I can remember, my parents started spanking me when I was 6 or 7 years old and stopped when I was 10 years old. They used a belt to spank me. If a belt was not readily available, my parents used their hands. In addition, there is an equivalent number of "hits" depending upon my infraction. For small matters, like touching or playing with things I am not supposed to touch and eventually, breaking them, that's just one or two. For big matters, like making my brother play with me even though he had fever, that's like three to five hits. After spanking me, my parents would talk to me and explain why I was punished. My parents never hit me excessively and an explanation always followed. Also, the punishment was never done publicly but was always done inside the bedroom. I never felt those things that psychologists said I would feel: resentment, humiliation, the urge to get revenge, aggression, learning inadequacy, etc. I believe that what I experienced was REASONABLE and BENEFICIAL for me and my parents. I also believe that corporal punishment should only be done by parents, and legal guardians and NOT by teachers or third persons.
CRUELTY
What others label as corporal punishment and equated with physical abuse is actually cruelty and this one is not beneficial nor reasonable. I have read about parents who spank or hit their children until they bleed, push their children's head against the wall, starve their children until they say sorry, burn their children's arms and legs, etc. I am against these kinds of cruelty.
THE BIBLE AND CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
The Christian community is divided on the appropriateness of corporal punishment. I read several articles online and here are two links that stood out:
Pro
Con
CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOR TODAY
I have encountered well-behaved, courteous children, and the not-so-nice children. I remembered being bumped or accidentally hit by several children in the school where I work, and only around two out of ten said sorry. I have also seen children who embarrass their parents publicly by crying and demanding to buy something that they want, and I saw how their parents gave in to their demands. I have seen children running, screaming, and bothering other people in public places, and their parents cannot stop them. I even encountered a child who hit me with an umbrella several times while I was inside a jeepney. The child was playing with the umbrella, and I told him to stop. The mother berated me saying that I am an adult and that I should "understand" his son because he is still young. The child was 8 years old. While the mother was screaming expletives at me inside the jeepney, I simply kept quiet. Like mother, like son.
On the bright side, I have seen parents who stop their children from making a scene in public by simply looking at them. I think the Filipino saying "makuha ka sa tingin" is appropriate for this one. I have seen parents who did not give in to their children's demands. I have seen parents who apologize to others when their children is too bothersome in public.
Too bad, I did not stop to ask if either group of parents were spanking their children at home or not.
ANTI-CORPORAL PUNISHMENT BILL
I am writing about corporal punishment because there is a bill pending in the senate that will make it illegal even if done by the child's parents.
More information here:
TO SPANK OR NOT TO SPANK
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| Image from http://www.ehow.com/ info_8262586_effects-physical-punishment-children.html |
I have read many discussion boards online, as well as articles on parenting. Some parents do not spank their children because they find no need for it. Some children are just born "nice". Some parents spank their children because they find it necessary to discipline their children this way. To spank or not to spank? It depends.
If the Anti-Corporal Punishment Bill is made into law, the answer would be "Not to Spank" because the parents will have no choice on the matter.
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