PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT IN SCHOOLS
It might sound surprising to the citizens of developed countries that physical punishment for students is still not criminalized in many jurisdictions. In some cultures, the god-like respect given to teachers supersedes the need to protect the mental and physical health of young children. Parents often don’t mind their kids being subjected to harsh punishments for greater discipline and better academic performance.
These parents don’t realize that the cost of such violent policies is far greater than the benefits. Your child may start showing better results due to the fear of being brutally beaten if he/she doesn’t perform well but this fear would also traumatize the poor kid forever. He/she will never actually develop a keen interest in studies.
The pain and humiliation that physical punishments cause are too much to handle for a young mind. Children are deprived of a carefree environment that enables growth and learning. Moreover, children stop trusting the elders for failing to protect them from harm.
Scientific studies have not found any benefit of these punishments. They do not add to the child’s intellect or make him/her sharper. So, the practice isn’t only inhumane but completely futile.
Violence towards kids is often a reflection of one’s own mental health issues. Vulnerable children often seem like easy targets to those seeking to release their frustration somehow or the other. Hence, along with making stricter laws to protect the children, we need to ensure a healthier recruitment process to select mentally stable and ethically strong teachers.
