CHILDREN PUNISHMENT

Children Punishment

Children Punishment

Introduction

The incidence of child abuse and child maltreatment is very much related to one's cultural practices and values. To illustrate, in a traditional family, father is the key figure, who is, in most Malay families applies authoritarian parenting style. Authoritarian in this sense implies certain aspects like he is the person who will give punishment for any wrongdoings in the house, he makes most of family decision, and he must be informed of any important occurrences in the family. Usually, the father-figure is a quiet, calm, and less talk-more action oriented person. Normally, small children are afraid of him, and gradually as they become older they develop respect to the father. As far as the punishment in the house is concerned, father has authority to punish his children. Usually, traditional parenting practices involve canning, but it is rarely done as it applies only to the most depraved acts (Segal, 1999, 39-52).

In America particularly, it is difficult to ascertain the abusive incidence in the society as many people are reluctant to become involved through reporting of such cases. Malay children in particular, are raised in an environment which involves elements of secrecy, guilt, and shame. Sue as quoted by (Futa, Hsu & Hansen, 2001, 189-206) mentions that the feelings of guilt and shame may extend to children's tendency to blame themselves for problems in the family due to egocentric thinking. It is also common for parents to instill guilt and shame feelings to control the behavior of family members. Shon as reported by the same previous author, explain the social concept of shame in the culture is frequently associated with the phrase "loss of face" in the literature, which means shame in the face of society. Shame and loss of face are among ways how the culture enforces values of conformity, inconspicuousness and interdependent, group oriented society. When a person is shamed, there is risk the family, community, and societal confidence and support will be withdrawn (Futa, Hsu & Hansen, 2001, 189-206).

Islam, as a religion, serves as a protective factor as it promotes compassionate and kind treatment to children. It is the responsibility and obligation of the parents to take care of their children, as every child is considered as a trust and a gift from Allah.

The present study aims to investigate:

1. The occurrence of childhood corporal punishment at home on a sample of participants who are medical students ...