Criticism of Corporal Punishment of Children within Families and Schools in Africa - Research Paper Example

One out of every seven children said they experienced corporal punishment every day (D. Naker and D. Sekitoleko 2009).The discussion in this paper provides a criticism of corporal punishment of children within families and schools in the region of Africa. The paper intends to establish that corporal punishment to children is a significant violation of their human rights but it has been embedded in the social, cultural and religious aspect of life in Africa. The paper will further explore the reasons why it is common in Africa despite the fact that it extremely damages children’s development, makes them sensitive and can harm them in many ways.

The paper intends to provide the potential consequences of corporal punishment on children and suggests how corporal/physical punishment might be eliminated in Africa. In the end, the paper will provide a comprehensive detail about the possible alternatives of corporal punishment along with the critical analysis of these alternatives. The critical analysis will provide the discussion that how the alternatives can be more successful as a form of punishment with less damaging effects on children’s body and mind.

Corporal punishment is the use of physical strength by an individual in a position of authority, with the intent of hurting, humiliating or causing pain and discomfort to an individual lacking the ability to defend or retaliate (Nilsson, 2002a). Thus physical punishment, as distinguished from pecuniary punishment or a fine; any kind of punishment inflicted on the body is referred to as corporal punishment. To enforce discipline or as a penalty for a crime, both children and adult aberrant have been subjected to corporal punishments all over the world from historical times to even now.

Corporal punishments include acts of beating; either with hand or some instruments such as stick or belt, slapping, smacking, spanking, rough handling, punching, kicking, shaking.