Red Thread : mothers' and grandmothers' submission to outlaw beating children

The Clerk of the Committee

Special Select Committee On Guyana’s Commitment To The United Nations Human Rights Council With Regard To The Abolition Of Corporal Punishment In The Schools, The Abolition Of The Death Penalty And The Decriminalization Of Consensual Adult Same Sex Relations And Discrimination Against Lesbians, Gays, Bi-Sexual And Transgender Persons (Resolution No. 23 Of 2012)
Committees Division

Parliament Office

Public Buildings

Georgetown

 Dear Sir/Madam

Re : Submission on the attitude of Guyanese, especially parents and children, to corporal punishment and its possible abolition;

We are writing as grassroots women who are mothers and grandmothers of school-age children, and who also work with Red Thread and its networks. Both in our own homes and in Red Thread, an organisation which promotes the welfare and rights of women and children, we are familiar with the trials of both parenting and teaching.

In the case of corporal punishment, we acknowledge that this particular type of violence is not only unnecessary but all too common. We would like to address the myth that states children cannot be disciplined without the occasional- or perhaps more regular- beating, proposing instead that the presence of violence within their homes and schools can only be detrimental to their education and growth. We are not pretending that in our homes, none of us ever loses her temper and hits one of her children. We are saying that we do not and will not make hitting a policy, and do not agree that it should be a policy in our schools.

Beating children instils a fear and mistrust that, far from generating respect, actually undermines the authority it is attempting to reinforce. Violence, then, can only be detrimental to an educational environment. Creating a space in which children feel safe is a crucial aspect of an effective educational experience. Being mothers ourselves, as well as members of an organisation that works closely with children every day, we speak from experience. Red Thread runs a variety of computer and literacy classes, with children of all ages; before this, we ran after-school classes with children aged 5 to 16 for several years. While many of us were raised with a culture that gave us licks and taught us to give them, working closely with children that are victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence has taught us that corporal punishment, or indeed additional violence of any form, does nothing to help these children to grow and thrive. Working with these children has encouraged many of us to re-evaluate the necessity of corporal punishment, and to develop alternative methods of discipline. We thus know that it is possible to create a space in which teachers discipline without corporal punishment, and where children consequently feel safe enough to be themselves.

One of the signatories to this submission explains her position like this: “As a child, licks did nothing good for me. They didn’t change my behaviour at all, just made me more stubborn and helped me to be more careful not to get caught. In relation to corporal punishment in the schools, I will never support it… In 2012 my six-year-old nephew could not attend school for more than a month because of the severe damage done to his little hand as a result of being beaten by his class teacher. For months my nephew was very fearful of attending school and his performance became very bad. It was hard work to help him overcome the trauma. In my view learning should be fun, but it clearly isn’t for my nephew and many other children that I have been interacting with… Beating is just a short cut and a short-term solution for any situation, but it does not bear positive fruits. Having to deal with children is a very big challenge and as a parent, I clearly understand the frustration and the temptation to beat. However, I believe that there are many positive options that need to be explored, and it is my hope that we will work together to come up with the best possible options that benefit both the children and the adults who have to take charge of them.”

Being in such close contact with children who are victims of violence, both at home and in school, allows us to see the effects that this violence can have in the long term. From our long history of working with victims of abuse, it is easy for us to see that violence begets violence, and that this cycle most often begins when we are children. Domestic violence and corporal punishment walk hand in hand, both being forms of violence promoting the belief that beating someone is the way to solve problems and establish authority. When this lesson is taught in an educational environment, as well as at home, can it be any surprise to us if our children become violent themselves? Using corporal punishment in schools is a lesson that extends past the classroom and into our children’s lives, begging the question, what exactly are we teaching them?

The lasting effects of corporal punishment are numerous and varied, and can be both visible and invisible. While many argue that they themselves were not negatively affected by beatings as a child, it must be remembered that for every child that was okay, there is a child who was not; why exchange our children’s welfare for the sake of continued and unnecessary violence? While some would say that corporal punishment is a part of Guyanese culture, we recall that from slavery to the modern day, violence has long been a part of Guyana’s cultural heritage- a fact that gives us little reason to continue this ‘tradition’ into the year 2013. Alternatives to corporal punishment, such as talking to children, treating them with respect, emphasising their responsibility for their actions, and taking time outs, are all viable and non-damaging ways to discipline and create a respectful and loving relationship between children and adults. Given the chance to abolish a practice that only furthers the cycle of physical abuse that is all too common within our country, refusing to take such a step can only be seen as a refusal to address systemic violence and to put a stop to it.

Sincerely,

Joy Marcus, mother

Joycelyn Bacchus, mother

Wintress White, mother

Halima Khan, mother and grandmother

Vanessa Ross, mother and grandmother

Norma Adrian, mother

Susan Collymore, mother

Women of Red Thread and Grassroots Women Across Race, March 2013

Some statements from children, ages 7-15 years, on their opinion of corporal punishment:

• “In many cases parents lose control and beat children badly and that makes children feel bad about themselves, worthless.” 13-15 yrs

• “If they [teachers] respect us, we will respect them so they will not have to beat us.”

13-15 yrs

• “School should set up counselling programs for children so that those involved in violence can be counselled about it instead of being beaten.” 13-15 yrs

• “Teachers beat wrongfully like if they give homework and you don’t understand what to do they wouldn’t take the time to explain but instead beat when it’s not finished.”

11-13 yrs

• “She [the teacher] could talk to me instead of beating, explain exactly why I shouldn’t plus what I should do…” 7- 9 yrs

• “Your teachers do not care about your feelings and the way you feel pain.” 13-15 yrs.