Daily Times

If one silently walks through the corridors of a school in Pakistan, there are many sounds that might reach one’s ears. The most conspicuous sounds will be those of teachers delivering lessons, students reading out loud and children animatedly chatting away with each other. However, if one listens closely, there is another sound that one is fearful of hearing: the stifled sound of a sobbing child who is being physically punished or verbally assaulted.

In many societies an act that propels a child to shriek in pain and sob uncontrollably is considered violence. However, some people prefer to fondly call this ‘discipline’. This type of discipline comes in many forms and manifestations ranging from smacking, slapping and spanking to hitting on the head, ears, knuckles or hitting hard and repeatedly with objects like a stick, shoe or even a belt. Needless to say, this violent form of discipline brings with it more tangible damage than any perceived form of good.

Numerous researches within and outside Pakistan amply manifest the far-reaching negative impacts of corporal punishment on a child’s physical, mental and emotional health. Children who regularly receive corporal punishment are likely to develop mental, physical and psychological weaknesses. Such children are also likely to exhibit violent behaviour and suffer from depression. While corporal punishment leaves children feeling ashamed and insulted on the one hand, on the other the fear of future punishment keeps them in a perpetual state of anxiety, resulting in loss of appetite, disturbed sleep patterns and nightmares.

It is important to emphasise here that all types of physical punishment, no matter how ‘mild’, carry the inherent risk of escalation, i.e. its effectiveness in controlling the child’s behaviour diminishes over time, propelling the punisher to increase the intensity of the punishment. Similarly, research also shows that in most cases, physical punishment is inflicted as a consequence of anger and so the severity of the punishment is directly proportional to the level of the punisher’s frustration. Resultantly, anger can increase the level of force beyond what was intended, posing the risk of serious injury or even death to the child receiving the punishment. The case of 15-year-old Hussain Abid, who was beaten to death by his teacher in 2012 for coming late to school, is a stark affirmation of this fact.

According to one of UNICEF’s global studies, there are six strategies to enable society as a whole, from families to governments, to prevent and significantly reduce violence against children. They include supporting caregivers to become more empathetic and patient while dealing with children so that resorting to violence no longer remains an option. Similarly, children too ought to be equipped with life skills so that they are in a better position to protect themselves against violence. Changing societal attitudes that condone violence against children is another important area that needs attention. Both the government and civil society organisations working on issues of child rights need to put in collective efforts to ensure that corporal punishment loses favour at the societal level so that individuals avoid resorting to corporal punishment, fearing societal condemnation. In the same realm, judicial, criminal and social systems and services need to be re-evaluated and re-vamped. Laws and policies that condone the use of force against children, especially Article 89 of the Pakistan Penal Code need to be revised and appropriate measures need to be taken to ensure the implementation of existing laws that prohibit corporal punishment. Finally, for all the above to happen, it is imperative that evidence and awareness about violence and its human and socio-economic costs be generated.

Violence against children is not inevitable; it is preventable, only if we refuse to tolerate it in the shadows. That said, a lot depends on our individual and societal commitment to truly protect our children.

The writer is a development practitioner working in the areas of peace-building, democratic reform and human rights