'Corporal Punishment' - these two words have taken the media by storm. What exactly is Corporal Punishment? Corporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain intended to discipline or reform a wrong-doer or to bring about a desirable change in a person's behavior. It stretches from downright cruelty to anything that leads to insult, humiliation, physical and mental injury. Children have the right to fight against these both at home and at school.
Gone are those days when the parents and teachers used to tame the children with a stick. But children are not like animals in a circus ring. Life of human being should be protected against cruelty, physical and mental violence, injury, abuse and exploitation. Children could not be subjected to any kind of physical violence in the name of 'Education' in school and in the name of 'discipline' at home. The constitution has laid down the basic rights to safeguard the dignity of children and a child cannot be denied his basic right just because he is small. Being small does not make him lesser human being than grown up.
Through the entire blame of inflicting corporal punishment put on the shoulder of school, but several times it has been found that children become victims of domestic violence and parents often become very hash. But no one takes the issue to the media as everybody thinks that parents have right on their own children. But we as parents and teachers should keep in mind that we are not the owners but custodians of our children.
The list of negative impacts of corporal punishment is long. It leads to emotional disturbance, decrease in self-esteem, slow mental development, failure to show mental development, failure to show love and respect to others, poor academic performance and fear of school or home. These may ultimately have a long-term effect in their tender minds.
The purpose behind punishing a child is to discipline him. Sometimes it becomes imperative for the parents and teachers to be stern with the students to stop them from going astray. But that is to be done without hurting the child physically or hampering the child's self-esteem.
Children are the greatest resources they are the future citizens. The elders entrust with the pious responsibility of moulding them. Instead of imposing ourselves on generation X, let's allow the tender hearts and minds to fly free and help them grow into responsible, disciplined and worthy citizens. It needs 'them' 'you' and 'me' to join hands and think something different and creative as every child is different, every child is SPECIAL.
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