Music Banter - View Single Post - Physical discipline against children .. okay or not?

Liljagare · 08-19-2009, 03:41 AM

As a Swede and working in the school system, I think that hitting a child honestly makes
no sense. Look what happens if you hit a dog everytime it does something wrong..over time it will build up either extremely aggresive traits or it will be prone to fits of violence. Why people do not think that this same outcome can happen to children is beyond me..

In Sweden, children are treated very well. 18 month maternity leave for parents to stay with their kids, fathers who are encouraged to be actively involved in their lives, children who have a right to be involved in everything from parent/teacher conferences to their own education, free university education (even for people who aren't even Swedes). Laws within Sweden are active in their protection of children and enforcement of childrens rights (and of course there is the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child). But I think it is mainly in the culture itself..to beat a child is considered inhumane/disgusting in our culture. You will rarely see a child screamed at in Sweden and never see a child beaten (and if that ever happens, a quick call to the police and the beater is arrested and thrown in jail). Teacher training here is very psychologically focused and more focus is given to the child's overall wellbeing
rather than how to increase overall grades and streamline education.Although we do not have the number one education system in the world, it is very good and most people here are quite happy with it. (Sorry, went a bit off the topic with that one but I think it is important to the understanding
of the overall view Swedes have towards children).

I cannot say this is a perfect culture and that not beating by itself ends violence. We have violence in Sweden..not to the extreme that countries like the US has (such as if there is a rape/murder, it usually makes headlines in the national papers) but we have our own share. But I think that corporal punishment does reinforce negative actions or cover them up rather than deal with the problem itself. It also can create a pattern of violence in the family itself (such as the thought "I grew up fine and I was beaten therefore it is okay to beat my kids"). And how does smacking a three year old honestly make one feel better? What ripple effect can that one smack have?

08-19-2009, 03:41 AM	#322 (permalink)
Liljagare Music Addict Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Sweden Posts: 182	As a Swede and working in the school system, I think that hitting a child honestly makes no sense. Look what happens if you hit a dog everytime it does something wrong..over time it will build up either extremely aggresive traits or it will be prone to fits of violence. Why people do not think that this same outcome can happen to children is beyond me.. In Sweden, children are treated very well. 18 month maternity leave for parents to stay with their kids, fathers who are encouraged to be actively involved in their lives, children who have a right to be involved in everything from parent/teacher conferences to their own education, free university education (even for people who aren't even Swedes). Laws within Sweden are active in their protection of children and enforcement of childrens rights (and of course there is the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child). But I think it is mainly in the culture itself..to beat a child is considered inhumane/disgusting in our culture. You will rarely see a child screamed at in Sweden and never see a child beaten (and if that ever happens, a quick call to the police and the beater is arrested and thrown in jail). Teacher training here is very psychologically focused and more focus is given to the child's overall wellbeing rather than how to increase overall grades and streamline education.Although we do not have the number one education system in the world, it is very good and most people here are quite happy with it. (Sorry, went a bit off the topic with that one but I think it is important to the understanding of the overall view Swedes have towards children). I cannot say this is a perfect culture and that not beating by itself ends violence. We have violence in Sweden..not to the extreme that countries like the US has (such as if there is a rape/murder, it usually makes headlines in the national papers) but we have our own share. But I think that corporal punishment does reinforce negative actions or cover them up rather than deal with the problem itself. It also can create a pattern of violence in the family itself (such as the thought "I grew up fine and I was beaten therefore it is okay to beat my kids"). And how does smacking a three year old honestly make one feel better? What ripple effect can that one smack have? Last edited by Liljagare; 08-19-2009 at 07:11 AM.