Friday, March 29, 2024

ZCEA calls for an end to corporal punishment on children

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The Zambia Civic Education Association (ZCEA) in partnership with other stakeholders has called for the immediate eradication of corporal punishment on children in society.

And the Human Rights Commission says corporal punishment on children and adults undermines the enhancement of citizens’ rights to effectively participate in the political and socio-economic development of any given society.

ZANIS reports that ZCEA chairperson Judith Mulenga says there is need for parents and guardians to use other alternative and effective ways of disciplining their erring children rather than applying corporal punishment.

Ms. Mulenga was speaking during the official launch of a Civic Education Campaign on ending corporal punishment and poster exhibition dubbed “Corporal Punishment Free Zone” at Alliance Francaise in Lusaka yesterday.

She implored society to stop applying corporal punishment and other violent forms of discipline on children saying the trend has a negative impact of the growth of the children.

And speaking at the same function, Human Rights Commission Executive Director Enoch Mulembe said corporal punishment is a human rights issue as it violates the protection of human rights, dignity and integrity.

Mr. Mulembe said studies have shown that children that are physically and emotionally abused cannot achieve their full potential thereby failing to contribute effectively to national development.

He stressed that studies have further shown that people who once experienced severe abuse when they were young are more prone to violent behaviour, even against their own children.

Earlier, Zambia Police Victim Support Unit (VSU) National Coordinator, Tresphord Kasale said children have continued to be killed and maimed by parents and guardians in the name of instilling discipline.

Mr. Kasale said there was need for intensified sensitization among proponent of corporal punishment to stop the vice as punitive measures that government have put in place to act as deterrent were less effective.

11 COMMENTS

  1. I would advise those advocating for the total removal of spanking to visit American and Canadian homes. You will see the difference in the behavior of kids between the parents that spank and those that do not. Do not just copy whatever the west does because it is in some book or publication. By the way it is very easy to have have biased statistics.

  2. Spare the rod and spoil the child. My mum use to bit me so that I learn, here I am, I have been to the UK and am working well married. The ZCEA wants us kuti tizilelela bana pachinena. Some of us chinena ching’ono kulelelapo bana We train our children to be good people

  3. Ah Ah, I say no…:(( We are blacks and not whites. At times a good beating is necessary. Just look at those kids in the photo, do you think they can be controlled just like that without some walloping? Think twice. I have taught in diaspora and at times I miss zambian students due to the indiscipline which I face. We beat our kids and they get there s**t together.

  4. These so so called human rights activists should understand that societies are not all the same. What works for Europeans will not always work for Africans and what works for Africans will not always work for Europeans. We can not be swallowing everything dished to us.

  5. Yes the old saying of “save the rod and spoil the child” is very true. Even the bazungu know that you cannot have a good child without some walloping of some sort. I appreciate some of the canning we used to have while at school in Matero. We were canned for anything out of the way and like that we are now big responsible boys who have grown up well disciplined. So the can is just good for these African children. They need it otherwise we shall have a useless nation with indisciplined people like Sata and the like. I end here!

  6. Yes the old saying of “save the rod and spoil the child” is very true. Even the bazungu know that you cannot have a good child without some walloping of some sort. I appreciate some of the canning we used to have while at school in Matero. We were canned for anything out of the way and like that we are now big responsible boys who have grown up well disciplined. So the can is just good for these African children. They need it otherwise we shall have a useless nation with indisciplined people like Sata and the like. I end here!

  7. And who is in favor of this same resolution to start with? Please, don´t do it. Concentrate on making our education free and building more institutions. Also allow more students at the universities…:”>

  8. This is the right move, the hitting of a child does not discipline behaviour but rather brings fear, anger and lack of respect. The Bible talks about not sparing a rod, this doesn’t necessarily mean the hitting of a child, it entails the proper rebuking of children as they grow, not the use of harsh physical treatment which only develops hatred in children. Let the children grow in the council of the Lord, not the corporal punishment thing.

  9. Yes i agree we have different systems, what works in other parts of the world may not work in Africa. And i went to a school where we got canned for major offences only. I also got caned at home by parents until a certain age. It taught me to obey and respect school rules and made me a disciplined person whos turned into a responsible man. Though i must say Some caning is/was to the extremes, and unnecessary. You could tell some teachers only used corporal punishment as a way of releasing what ever was bugging them, and as parents i dont think we would want our children to be lashed or whipped everyday by some angry frustrated human being, its not right. Anyway way all im saying is that there should be some balance, sometimes making a child read / study after school hours while his…

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