we had both the swat to the hand and the crap beaten out of us abuse. As a child, whether receiving, or watching or hearing other children receiving, either of these treatments, I always felt it to be unjust.
The only justification for corporal punishment that I could glean from teachers and parents was an unspoken "I am hitting you because you disobeyed me and I'm bigger than you". But I disagreed with their view that the child's behavior, mine or that of other children, merited such punishment. I considered the adult's behavior to be unjust, disproportionate, hypocritical and bullying. All it taught me was resentment and a hatred of their injustice.
I am weary of hearing clearly damaged individuals proudly declaring that as children they were thrashed and it never did them any harm.
I doubt I have more than a wishy-washy-wooly alternative to child discipline by violence but even a cursory glance at human "progress" suggests that disciplining children by violence is not working.
You don’t sell junk food by promoting a healthy diet. You don’t sell arms by promoting peace; And though on occasion when watching the news, I hear a small voice in my head saying “bring back the birch”, I suggest that you don’t grow well adjusted adults by hitting children.
___
Recent Comments