discipline

Disciplining Children

Parents have a fundamental constitutional right to care, custody, and control of their children, including the right to discipline them. Child discipline is the methods used to prevent future behavioral problems in children. The word discipline is defined as imparting knowledge and skill, in other words, to teach. In its most general sense, Wikipedia states that discipline refers to systematic instruction given to a disciple. To discipline means to instruct a person to follow a particular code of conduct.

The ‘Ceiling Fan’ Terror

Recently, CHILDLINE Trivandrum received information about a 10 yrs old boy named Rajesh (given Name). He is a student of LMS UPS, Perumbakonam. The boy lives with his father and stepmother. In the first week of December 2016, the child was physically tortured by his father, as part of punishment for his wrongdoing at home. His hands and feet (also neck) were tied with a rope and suspended on a ceiling fan. CHILDLINE staff informed the local police station (Marayamuttom), who in turn visited the home and rescued the child. The boy’s statement was recorded. A case was also registered and later handed over safely to CHILDLINE Trivandrum. There were contradictions in his statements. The boy, at first said that he was hung from a fan; later said was tied to a window. Our staff member had a counseling session with him and gave emotional guidance and support.

The father has been arrested and currently remanded under judicial custody. In a child protective services action, the court determines if a child is abused, neglected, or dependent rather than determine a parent’s culpability. As per our home study report, the mother is not fit to look after the child. Hence the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) will be in charge of the care and protection of the child.

Children occupy a special place in the law

As part of the child-caring process, parents or caregivers may need to discipline a child. This discipline sometimes involves physical acts such as spanking, confinement, or the restriction of privileges. Though courts are often very reluctant to intervene in family matters or dictate how parents must raise their children, some acts of discipline or types of acts against a child are considered abusive and criminal. When a parent, guardian, or child caregiver - or anyone in a position of power - commits violence, sexual acts, or other damaging acts against a child, the courts punish these acts as child abuse. So it is important to give sufficient care and protection to children  and never punish children in such a way that the child is unable to bear it and also cause emotional and psychological wounds in children.