KARACHI:
Initially, corporal punishment was mostly practised on prisoners and criminals. Now it has made its way into the very mindset of people. It has become rather common in families and schools across Pakistan to punish children through physical pain, which may include spanking or caning. In the light of the aggravating situation, the National Assembly recently passed a bill that bans all forms of corporal punishment in educational institutions — formal, non-formal and seminaries — in both public and private sectors as well as childcare institutions and rehabilitation centres. Unfortunately, apart from Sindh, no other province has adopted laws to protect children from such an ordeal. It is a sad reality that even in the modern world children are physically abused and sexually violated.
For many years countless videos have surfaced showing government school teachers mercilessly beating and abusing children for being mischievous. They tend to forget that at such a young age, children don’t know any better. Instead of inflicting pain and trauma, it is our job as mentors and seniors to nurture and guide them in the best possible way. A child’s mind is like a sponge, ready to absorb all types of information. The use of violence seeps into the unconscious of the child, and when repressed comes out in traumatic or extreme ways through behaviour and personality changes.
M Sikandar Abbasi
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, February 28th, 2021.
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