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Child rights -
Discipline without violence
The Convention on the Rights of the Child makes it clear that
children shall be protected from “all forms of mental or physical
violence, injury or abuse while in the care of parents, legal
guardians or any other person who has the care of the child.”
(Art.19.1). Therefore any forms of discipline involving violence are
unacceptable. But for parents who have been brought up in a culture
which accepts beating and verbal putdowns as essential elements of
parenting, we are a long way from being able to live up to or
implement that right.
It is normal for parents and teachers to occasionally become
frustrated and angry with children's behaviour. However, it is
difficult to effectively discipline our children when we are
furious. The impulse to give a sound whack can be very tempting.
But, to use the words of psychologist Penelope Leach “Spanking is a
shortcut to nowhere.”
Spanking has to be wrong, she proposes, because we all agree that
hitting people is wrong and children are people - aren't they? When
a bigger child hits a smaller one in the playground, to get his
sweets, we call him a bully. When sibling hits another we tell him
he’s wrong. Yet when a parent hits a child to make him or her obey
many people still consider this to be perfectly acceptable.
© 1999 Barbara King |
