Dear Editor,

Corporal punishment is known to be one of the most debatable methods of discipline that has been used for generations in various parts of the world. In many countries, this form of discipline is now prohibited and is also a criminal offence.

Parents have to realise that parenting will always be one of the most challenging tasks, and it will require a lot of patience and resourcefulness. Parenting is also a rewarding experience, though it will take many years to accomplish desired goals.

Undoubtedly, there are parents who believe that spanking is a necessary part of discipline and is the most effective method to stop children from being unruly. Arguably, we cannot control how each parent will discipline their child, but we cannot ignore the fact that many children are being punished with brute force under the disguise of discipline. We just have to listen to some of the horror stories that have been told by so many recipients of physical discipline. The days when children were been disciplined based on the “spare the rod, spoil the child” mentality are long gone. Therefore, it is time we discontinue this type of discipline, because corporal punishment is counterproductive and it has no place in modern society.

Clearly, it would be in our best interest to ban spanking and seek constructive parenting skills that will help to modify children’s behaviour, and teach them how to solve problems without using aggression or violence. Methods that could be employed should be reasoning with children and depriving them of their privileges, which could be a lot more effective than spanking as long as we make ourselves clear and stand firm on the chosen punishment. Parents must also keep in mind that children who grew up being spanked are a lot more likely to be aggressive towards others.

N D Thomas

N83thomas@gmail.com