Corporal punishment is defined as any act of punishment by a parent or other legal guardian causing deliberate physical pain or discomfort to a minor child in response to some undesired behavior. It typically takes the form of spanking or slapping the child with an open hand or striking with an implement such as a belt, slipper, cane, hairbrush or paddle, whip, hanger, and can also include shaking, pinching, forced ingestion of substances such as soap or hot peppers, or forcing children to stay in uncomfortable positions.
This practice is, unfortunately, widely used in Guyana and other territories. According to a United Nations (UN) report, “Surveys in 56 countries show that approximately 6 out of 10 children aged 2–14 years experienced corporal punishment by adults in their households in the past month. On average, 17 percent of children experienced severe physical punishment (being hit on the head, face or ears or hit hard and repeatedly) but in some countries this figure exceeds 40 percent.”
Guyanese psychologist Caitlin Viera has stated her position on the matter, Ms. Vieira wrote the following:
“Please make no mistake that corporal punishment refers to children’s physical punishment, which means it is a form of physical abuse and a violation of children’s human rights. I know some of you out there may laugh at that, and unfortunately, that is the first problem. Children have rights and should be respected as such. Most importantly, [children] should not be taught at a young age that physical acts [of violence] are the resolution to any problem.”
According to reports, “The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends healthy forms of discipline, such as positive reinforcement of appropriate behaviors, limit setting, redirecting, and setting future expectations. The AAP recommends that parents do not use spanking, hitting, slapping, threatening, insulting, humiliating, or shaming.”
Such consistent recommendations by experts may stem from the fact that corporal punishment has been found to be exceedingly harmful to children. Direct and statistically indisputable links have been found between corporal punishment and mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, personality disorders, and substance abuse when those children grow up.
Furthermore, spanking and other physical punishments damage the relationship between children and their parents or caregivers. Trust, stability, safety, and security are the keys to helping children develop the skills they need to manage their behavior and become happy and productive adults; corporal punishment erodes that relationship, and could permanently drive families apart.
It may be noted, too, that while violence by an adult against a defenseless child is allowed in Guyana, similar violence against another adult is a criminal offense. Obviously that fact makes no logical, moral, or legal sense. As such, all violence against children should be immediately outlawed as it has been in the neighbouring territory of Brazil.
There is an ongoing debate in academic circles about whether or not corporal punishment could lead to child abuse. This debate, though, is equally nonsensical: corporal punishment – violence against a defenseless child – IS child abuse.
