Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Children in Public

I remember a popular panel speaker saying that "Children should be seen and not heard ... and preferably not seen either" A bit extreme the punch line but I think the first is a valid attitude.

These days, and for several generations, it has been 'normal' to tend to ignore people other than oneself and if ours disturb others the concept it that it is 'the others' problem. Consideration for others seems to have gone out the door and we have children flying in planes making a racket and somebody who makes a comment about them to a freind, but is overheard ... shades of stage whispers perhaps ... is crucified as being un reasonable.

Then it turns out that the husband/ father was sitting beside the commentor and apparently doing nothing to keep the children happy and quiet ... that's womens' business anyway.

Side issues like one part is Labour and the other ACT add nuencess to story.

But it all boils down to bad parenting and unbringing of children rampant these days when corporal punishment is an offence and children are simply permitted to run wild and un controlled and thereby not taught to have consideration for others when out of the home environment.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

People used to think it was necessary to "spank" adult members of the community, military trainees, and prisoners. In some countries they still do. In our country, it is considered sexual battery if a person over the age of 18 is "spanked", but only if over the age of 18.

For one thing, because the buttocks are so close to the genitals and so multiply linked to sexual nerve centers, striking them can trigger powerful and involuntary sexual stimulus in some people. There are numerous physiological ways in which it can be sexually abusive, but I won't list them all here. One can use the resources I've posted if they want to learn more.

Child buttock-battering vs. DISCIPLINE:

Child buttock-battering (euphemistically labeled "spanking","swatting","switching","smacking", "paddling",or other cute-sounding names) for the purpose of gaining compliance is nothing more than an inherited bad habit.

Its a good idea for people to take a look at what they are doing, and learn how to DISCIPLINE instead of hit.

I think the reason why television shows like "Supernanny" and "Dr. Phil" are so popular is because that is precisely what many (not all) people are trying to do.

There are several reasons why child bottom-slapping isn't a good idea. Here are some good, quick reads recommended by professionals:

Plain Talk About Spanking
by Jordan Riak,

The Sexual Dangers of Spanking Children
by Tom Johnson,

NO VITAL ORGANS THERE, So They Say
by Lesli Taylor M.D. and Adah Maurer Ph.D.

Most compelling of all reasons to abandon this worst of all bad habits is the fact that buttock-battering can be unintentional sexual abuse for some children. There is an abundance of educational resources, testimony, documentation, etc available on the subject that can easily be found by doing a little research with the recommended reads-visit the website of Parents and Teachers Against Violence In Education at www.nospank.net.

Just a handful of those helping to raise awareness of why child bottom-slapping isn't a good idea:

American Academy of Pediatrics,
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,
American Psychological Association,
Center For Effective Discipline,
Churches' Network For Non-Violence,
Nobel Peace Prize recipient Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
Parenting In Jesus' Footsteps,
Global Initiative To End All Corporal Punishment of Children,
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In 26 countries, child corporal punishment is prohibited by law (with more in process). In fact, the US was the only UN member that did not ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

JCUKNZ's blog said...

When discipline, as opposed to smacking, doesn't work and others suffer it is time to come our senses and appreciate that smacking is an efficient means of teaching conformity to responsible citizenship and consideration for others in our area.