By Dayan Farias Picon, UNODC Legal Officer of the END VAC Team, and Valerie Chmara, UNODC Psychosocial Specialist Support of the END VAC Team
Breaking the Silence: Understanding Corporal Punishment in Detention Facilities
Violence against children, including corporal punishment, is a silent disease often overlooked by society. Culturally accepted physical discipline is rooted in societal misconceptions. Sensationalized media and stigmatization of children - especially adolescents - lead to fears of rising child involvement in crime and violence and calls for harsher punitive measures. Only fragments of a larger problem are addressed.
When people think of violence against children, they tend to think of hitting, smacking, or spanking. However, corporal punishment may also involve kicking, shaking, scratching, and forced ingestion of harmful substances. These acts, frequently dismissed as minor, inflict severe physical and psychological harm.
Justice professionals often genuinely want to help children deprived of liberty, but believe that "tough" treatment including corporal punishment is necessary to correct behaviour. This view fails to recognize the continuous development that children and adolescents go through until their early 20s. Responses to problematic behaviours often involve 'safety,' 'securitized,' and 'zero tolerance' approaches that punish and exclude individuals, overtly or by omission. These disciplinary methods do not typically produce desired results because they are prohibitive rather than supportive of developmental needs such as curiosity, autonomy, and reduced hyperarousal that are served by risk-taking behaviour.
Breaking the Cycle: Challenging the Normalization of Corporal Punishment as Discipline
In many cultures, corporal punishment is deeply ingrained as a legitimate means of imparting discipline and authority, and is common practice in educational and correctional settings. Professionals often view it as a natural and necessary means to maintain order and teach children. This normalization presents a significant barrier to change. Challenging corporal punishment involves confronting and questioning deeply rooted beliefs and practices.
Overcoming resistance requires demonstration that alternate disciplinary approaches can be equally, if not more, effective. The fear of deviating from established norms and potential criticism from peers and superiors must be addressed in order to shift perceptions. Challenging and tackling the normalization of corporal punishment represents the beginning of a more humane and respectful approach to discipline that better supports the development and well-being of children.
Breaking Harmful Behaviours: Tips for Positive Discipline
Supporting professionals in the child (juvenile) justice system to transition away from corporal punishment involves addressing several key challenges through practical strategies:
Tip 1: Advocate for adequate funding and resources
Empowering professionals to adopt practices that respect children's rights and prioritize rehabilitation requires adequate funding and resources. Many professionals face a lack of support, which hinders their ability to implement effective alternative disciplinary methods.
Tip 2: Provide ongoing supervision, mentoring, and mental health support to personnel working with children in detention facilities
Addressing frustration and stress among professionals is crucial. Working in environments where children face various difficulties and display challenging behaviours can lead to burnout, contributing to the use of corporal punishment. Ongoing supervision, mentoring, and mental health support help professionals to manage stress effectively and maintain a compassionate approach to discipline.
Tip 3: Establish clear policies and guidelines that prohibit corporal punishment
Developing and implementing clear policies and guidelines that explicitly prohibit corporal punishment while promoting evidence-based alternatives, such as restorative justice practices and positive reinforcement techniques, is essential. These practices foster rehabilitation and contribute to creating safer and more nurturing environments for youth in the justice system.
Tip 4: Engage various stakeholders
Engaging families, educators, community members, and child and youth advocates in discussions and decision-making processes can help to build consensus and commitment to alternative disciplinary practices, reducing reliance on corporal punishment.
Tip 5: Offer professional development opportunities
Providing opportunities for professional development and continuing education focused on trauma-informed care, conflict resolution, cultural competency, and positive disciplinary approaches enhances professionals' skills and knowledge. This further supports the shift away from corporal punishment.
Redefining child discipline in detention facilities requires breaking the silence around harmful behaviours related to corporal punishment. Shifting from punitive measures to protective and supportive approaches promotes the development and well-being of children, as supported by the latest neuroscience research. This transformation requires collective effort, adequate resources, and a commitment to evidence-based practices. Together, we can create a more humane and effective child (juvenile) justice system.
Key resources
2023 - 2030 Strategy to End Violence Against Children - OSRSG-VAC and UNODC
