Patsy, from what I understand, "corporal punishment" in school is still
legal in some parts of the world, including 20 of the States of the USA.
Is that correct?
Which forms of "non-violent discipline" is currently in favour in the
dominant Western discourse? Is it scolding, isolation, logical
consequences, bribes or grounding?
Or is non-punitive discipline the "in" thing?
Would options like distraction, time-outs (for young kids), praise and
rewards, natural consequences, modelling, reason or even "internal
discipline and democracy" help to achieve the goal of fostering a "sound
judgement and morals so the child will develop and maintain self
discipline throughout the rest of his or her life"?
While the Delaney case is an extreme one, I personally still favour the
torture tools of our Jesuit school era. It was seldom used, but the fear
of it was enough to keep one on track. I quickly learnt that there was
also a strong sense of justice involved -- you seldom got it without
deserving it!
Some time back, when I was online, I was surprised to learn that there
was even a name for the "wooden biscuit" that the priests used
occasionally on the hands of very naughty boys! FN
PS: If the more subtler forms of correction work, so much the better.
But I don't think it's fair to expect teachers to deliver when they
can't correct our kids even with a slight smack. Like doctors who fear
patients filing a medical suit against them, the teachers too are on the
defensive now.
Obviously, it's a question of what/home much punishment is acceptable
too. One teacher at our school had the habit of twisting a pencil
between a naughty boy's fingers. Ouch, it was painful! But I can say
that such punishment was meted out in very rare cases, and I never got
the impression that it was being doled out sadistically.
Sweden seems to have been the first country to ban corporal punishment
at home, in 1979. In the US, "spanking," "whipping," "smacking," or
"slapping" by parents is currently legal; it is also legal to use
certain implements such as a belt or paddle. This seems a bit cruel to
me! And btw, in Canada, spanking by parents or legal guardians (but
nobody else) is legal, as long as the child is not under 2 years or over
12 years of age, and no implement other than an open, bare hand is used
(belts, paddles, etc. are strictly prohibited).Looks like there's too
much of an emphasis on the law and a legalistic approach, rather than
allowing parents and society decide what is needed. The less the better!
But the threat of using it can't be all that bad....
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