Corporal punishment in our society

EDITOR: I was involved in a recent WhatsApp group chat discussion on corporal punishment and it motivated me to write an article on this subject. I know that this is a matter of divided public opinion. However, I think that we can all find useful guidance from the views expressed by renowned Clinical Psychologist, Jordan Peterson in his best-selling book, 12 Rules for Life.

Professor Peterson said that punishment is a tool for maintaining discipline and enforcing rules in homes, schools, organisations and communities. In a home, there may be a rule against bullying or torturing other children and that children should pay attention when spoken to by adults. If these rules are broken, then the administration of an appropriate punishment may become necessary.

Importantly, the punishment must be administered by a responsible adult, calibrated to the temperament of the child and the danger involved and be based on the application of the minimum necessary force.

The range of applicable punishment might be from a glare, to a verbal command, to a flick on the fingers, to time out (which has been described as extremely effective), to physical restraint and to licks or other measures.

Incidentally, Professor Peterson indicated that “hitting” is a very unsophisticated word that is often used to describe an entire range of disciplinary actions that may be performed by effective parents. He drove home this point by saying that if “hitting” accurately described the entire range of physical force, then “there would be no difference between rain droplets and atom bombs.”

The logic of using the minimum necessary force is supported by English Common Law which allows us to defend our rights but only in a reasonable manner as reflected in the following scenario presented in the 12 Rules of Life –

“Someone breaks into your house. You have a loaded pistol. You have a right to defend yourself, but it’s better to do it in stages. What if it’s a drunk and confused neighbour? ‘Shoot em!’’ you think. But it’s not that simple. So, you say, instead,
‘Stop! I have a gun.’’ If that produces neither explanation nor retreat, you might consider a warning shot. Then, if the perpetrator still advances, you might take aim at his leg.”

In relation to punishment, context and magnitude matter.

If we see a 2-year-old child hitting his or her baby sibling in the head with a wooden block, what should we do about it? Can’t a stare, verbal reprimand, a flick on the fingers or some other appropriate response be effective in saving younger children from future torture or bullying? Isn’t this prize worth the pain?

I know that some people think that hitting children simply teaches them how to hit. However, do you really believe that flicking the 2-year-old on the fingers in the scenario above just after he or she had hit his or her baby sibling with the block would make that 2-year-old conclude that he or she should hit the baby more using the flick on the fingers as an example? or would the 2-year-old become at least somewhat less willing to smack the baby again in the future?

In relation to the suggestion that there is no excuse for any degree of physical punishment because it can be considered to be violence, Professor Peterson made the profound point that time out and deprivation of liberty cause pain in a manner similar to physical trauma as a matter of neurobiological fact. Moreover, he said that the very act of saying “no” to a child who wants to have too much cake or ice-cream is the same as physical punishment. Do we therefore allow our children to eat as much cake and ice-cream as they want without regard to the health implications? Can’t we even talk to our children? Should we exist in a state of paralysis with respect to discipline? As a society, should we have no recourse to imprisonment as punishment for offences such as theft and assault despite the widespread consensus that the behaviours associated with them are wrong and should give rise to sanctions? I invite you to reflect on these questions.

How should the school system deal with a child that stabs another child with a pencil? This has happened several times in real life.

Nonetheless, I would like to emphasise that punishment should be administered by a responsible adult (such as a parent or headteacher), be calibrated to the temperament of the child and the danger involved, and be based on the application of the minimum necessary force. If a glare or word of caution is sufficient, then there is no need for stronger forms of punishment. Additionally, the punishment that should be administered to child A for a particular offence may be different from the punishment that should be administered to child B for the same offence.

We should always keep in mind that nature and society will likely punish in a draconian manner any errors of childhood behaviour that remain uncorrected. If we don’t train our children, they might grow up and suffer harsher punishments or penalties from society in their late youth or early adulthood and this may take the form of pre-mature death or imprisonment.

I believe that these views can help inform your position on corporal punishment.

Luke Browne