Dubai
Corporal punishment does not affect a child’s behaviour positively in the longterm according to Nida Hussain, a clinical psychologist based in Dubai. It has temporary effects, wherein children might be obedient out of fear of being hit again.
She said: “The problem is that corporal punishment does not teach the child why the behaviour was wrong and what can be done instead of that behaviour. It asserts that children understand and make connections between events and punishments like adults, which we know is not the case neurologically. Biologically, the human brain does not fully develop until 24, meaning young children are especially susceptible to inaccurately interpreting situations and experiences, including feelings, behaviours, and consequences.”
If a child has a bad day at school, he or she might come home and throw a tantrum, because according to Hussain, “a child does not necessarily know how to appropriately express feelings of frustration, sadness or being hurt”. If physical punishment is used on this child, he or she can experience “severe distress mentally and physically”, similar to if an adult was “robbed at gunpoint”. In this state, the child is unable to form a connection between his or her actions and the punishment and might go on to avoid the inflictor, which leads them to assume that the behaviour has stopped.
Hussain said: “The use of corporal punishment can potentially make a child more prone to thinking that the infliction of punishment is a way of solving issues. The potential consequences outweigh the benefits. It can lead to problematic behaviours and acting out later on, especially during the period of adolescence. Additionally, it could lead to higher aggression rates, greater mental health concerns, antisocial behaviour and higher likelihood of a child growing up to use corporal punishment as adults.”
A lot of research has been done on the subject, stated Hussain, and it shows that there are better ways of handling difficult behaviour. “As clichéd as it sounds, the children we raise today, are the same children that will be the leaders of the future. Using corporal punishment is like telling a child to walk before they can even crawl,” she said.
In her opinion, the reactions children have to corporal punishment also vary largely. Two children receiving the same punishment could react very differently. As a result, children could “act more aggressively with peers or shy away from social interactions” due to a fear of potential punishment.
