Corporal punishment

Effects of corporal punishment on disciplinary control of students in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State.

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study

Corporal punishment is defined as the use of physical force towards a child for the purpose of control and/or correction, and as a disciplinary penalty inflicted on the body with the intention of causing some degree  of pain or discomfort, however mild. Punishment of this nature is referred to in several ways, for example: hitting, smacking, spanking, and belting (Cashmore & de Haas, 1995). Although most forms of corporal punishment involve hitting children with a hand or an implement (such as a belt or wooden spoon), other forms of corporal punishment include: kicking, shaking, biting and forcing a child to stay in uncomfortable positions (United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2006). The desired outcome of physical punishment is child compliance with adult directives (Gawlik, Henning, & Warner, 2002; Smith, Gollop, Taylor, & Marshall, 2004).

Corporal punishment refers to intentional application of physical pain as a method of behavior change Straus MA, Mouradian (2002). It includes a wide variety of methods such as hitting, slapping, spanking, punching, kicking, pinching, shaking, shoving, choking, use of various objects (i.e., wooden paddles, belts, sticks, pins, or others), painful body postures (such as placing in closed spaces), use of electric shock, use of excessive exercise drills, or prevention of urine or stool elimination Gershoff ET. Bitensky (2007). The majority of children have experienced physical punishment by the time they reach adolescence. Corporal punishment in schools does not refer to the occasional need of a school official to restrain a dangerous student or use physical force as a means of protecting members of the school community subject to imminent danger.

Frud (1999) see corporal Discipline as the deliberate infliction of pain and suffering intended to punish a person or change his/her behaviour historically speaking, most5 Discipline whether in judicial, domestic or educational settings, corporal Discipline is based. The essence of Discipline is to train children to be orderly and of grid conduct and habit of getting the best out of them. It aims at developing habits and approved standards. According to Frud, in the school system where laziness, frequent absence from school, refusal to participation in co curricular activities, drunkenness, fighting in classroom, misuse of school properties or abiding rules and regulation. Discipline makes people respect higher authority or observe conventional or establishment laws of the   society an organization or school. He further argue that if a school system is devoid of corporal Discipline, lawlessness increases and students from homes who lacks   the proper moral up-brining discourages other and institute disrespect to the higher authority. Students display moral values when they know that giving against a higher authority is an offence and is Discipline.

Discipline globally viewed could be termed to mean training that enables an individual to develop an orderly conduct and self control as well as self direction (Egwunyenga 2000). With reference to the school, Adesina (1980) has described it as a situation whereby students are taught to respect the school authorities to observe the school laws and regulations and to maintain established standard of behaviour. This means that respect for self and respect for others are involved (Peretomode, 1999). In the issue of discipline, the person must be guided in his behaviour to do what is right and good. But a situation where there is a deliberate violation of school rules and regulations, that is, students do as they want and undo what they are expected to do creates an undisciplined atmosphere. Some major symptoms of this situation which have been identified by Nwankwo, Nwokafor, Ighalo and Ogunsanwo (2000) generally include unrest, mass disobedience, truancy, bullying, absenteeism, drug abuse, lateness, delinquency, examination malpractice, fighting, noise making, vandalization, and violent demonstrations.

History has generally shown that many societies have become characterized by political, religious, industrial, ethnic and personal disputes which have often been settled after violence. This culture, in the words of Chianu (2001), “has gradually crept into the school system…. Often students react violently against teachers, teachers in turn vent their frustration on students-the innocent and the guilty alike”. For the school system to achieve its desired goals discipline must be properly enforced. This has often been done by the adoption of two major techniques, namely “reward” and “punishment”.

 The focus of this study is the effects of use corporal punishment on disciplinary control of primary school students in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State. Punishment is an aversive stimulus, whereby an unpleasant painful experience is applied in order to discourage a given type of unacceptable behaviour. It is a “traditional technique of disciplinary control which is considered a necessary corrective measure” (Nwankwo et al, 1987). It is designed to point out the teacher’s disapproval and to deal with repeated misbehaviour capable of threatening the success of the teaching-learning process. Saunders (2003) outlined the following as some common punishment practices in schools – detention with some task, withdrawal of privileges, isolation or exclusion and tidying up classrooms and picking of papers from the play ground. Others are mental punishment such as personal criticism, ridicule and sarcasm (Cohen and Lawrence, 1981) and verbal form which includes order to cease, reprimand, threat (Kyriacon, 1995). Suspension and expulsion from school are added forms of punishment.

Besides the above is physical punishment, commonly known as corporal punishment.  Greydanus (2001) sees this as the intentional application of physical pain as a method of changing behaviour. It has been an accepted method of promoting good behaviour and instilling notions of responsibility and decorum into the mischievous heads of school children (Chianu, 2001). Corporal punishment includes a wide variety of methods such as hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, pinching, kneeling, use of various objects (wooden, paddles, belts, sticks and cane), painful body postures, knocking on the head, use of excessive exercise drills and prevention of urine and/or stool elimination etc. In many parts of the world, corporal punishment in school has always raised very heated debate. In the United States and many parts of Europe, many organizations and at different levels have fought to abolish its use (Frazier 1990) and (Poole 1991). 

1.2       Theoretical Framework

This study is anchored on this theory:

a.       Behaviorism theory

a.         Behaviorism Theory

They theory of behaviour is denvea from the work of Waston, Skinner and Parlov (Nwachukwu 2000, pg 96, 97). This theory states that behaviour is learned and can be unlearned. The proponents of this theory believe   that   apart from behaviours due to innate characteristics and nature, most behaviours are learned and can be unlearned changed or modified into desired ends using a systematic, scientific mode of shaping the desired changes.

However, two major types of thinking emerge over the years differing   on the point of view of what should be controlled B. F. Skinner emphasized that is environment in which a behaviour was shaped or occurs presently which controls most of human behaviours. Therefore, a systematic control of environment conditions set up or modeled can bring about desirable behaviour changes. Another school of though much later in the 1960s got dissatisfied with the environmental emphasis which appeared to mechanically restrictive in terms of the nature of man. This school of though emphasized that behaviour also involves thinking and so, control or arrangement of behaviour influencing variables should include controlling the organisms, which is the individuals himself.

This theory is relevant to the study in the sense that ability to establish favourable and health school environment is a step towards bringing a desirable to behaviour.

1.3       Statement of Problem

For some years of past decades now, indiscipline among students in Primary school in Calabar south local government has been in the increase. This unwholesome behaviour of students ranging from disobedience lying, stealing, disrespect and falsification of school certificate or report sent to parents, fighting against the teachers and colleagues. This behaviour have become so pronounced that they are now accepted as a permanent feature of life in our school system. All these constitute retardation in the academic performance of students and their attitude to school.

The problems of indiscipline among secondary school students in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State in particular and Cross River State at large is alarming. The back down in interpersonal relationship or in the observation of rules leads to disorder. Indiscipline among students may manifest in stealing, fighting, staying away from school, defiance of authority, vandalism, shop lifting and refusal to go to school. There are expression of defiance and resentment which disrupts normal school progress. Other problems that confront educational institutions are school dropout because of failure in school subjects. This unruly behaviour might be due to poor home background, peer group influence, mass media, drugs and maladministration on the part of the school authority.

With indiscipline among students in school in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State, teachers do not have enough time for teaching and learning. This is a matter of concern. Besides, if not checked, students may graduate into audit criminals. Students have learnt cheating in examinations without staying to study. They damage school properties and beat their teachers. All these immoral practice are damaging, they impede learning and dampened the progress of the student, the family and the society. Unfortunately, all efforts by parents’ educational planners, government agencies to stem down these social malaises among student have proved abortive. The question one readily asks is do student fear Discipline? Can Discipline help curtail students’ excesses? The need to take a study on Effects of corporal punishment on disciplinary control of primary school students in Calabar South L.G.A of Cross river State.

1.4      Purpose of the study

            The major concern of this study was to take a study on Effects of corporal punishment on disciplinary control of primary school pupils in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State. Specifically, the study is aimed at investigating whether:

i)        Corporal punishment enhance disciplinary control among primary school pupils

ii)       Corporal punishment relate with lateness control in primary school

iii)       Corporal punishment relate with truancy control in primary school

iv)      Corporal punishment enhance delinquency control among primary school pupils

1.5      Research Questions

The following research questions were posed to direct this study.

i.              To what extend does corporal punishment contribute to disciplinary control?

ii.             Does corporal punishment contribute to lateness control among primary school pupils?

iii.            How does corporal punishment enhance truancy control among primary school pupils?

iv.           To what extent does corporal punishment control delinquency among primary school pupils?

1.6     Statement of Hypotheses

To answer the research questions posted, the following hypotheses were generated to guide the study.

i)        There is no significant relationship between corporal punishment and disciplinary control among primary school pupils.

ii)       There is no significant relationship between corporal punishment and lateness control among primary school pupils.

iii)       There is no significant relationship between corporal punishment and truancy control among primary school pupils.

iv)      There is no significant relationship between corporal punishment and delinquency control among  primary school pupil.

1.7     Significance of the Study

It is anticipated that the benefit of this study will before the teachers, students, school administrators, policy makers and parents.

To the teacher, the finding of this study will assist teachers to know how to instill Discipline among students when they go against school rules.

To school administrators, this study will help them alter educational practices to suit the challenging needs and most. To policy makers, the study will enable them to set rules and regulations and to plan the curriculum of the school to reflect the need of the student.

To parents, the finding of this study will enable them to known how to instill Discipline to children and to bring them properly as worthy ambassadors.

To students, the finding of this study will enable them to observe school rules and regulations and the dangers involve when they go against them.

1.8     Assumption Of The Study

This study is conducted on the following assumptions that:

i.              That the sample from the selected area is a true representation of the population primary school pupils in Calabar South Local Government Area.

ii.             That the instruments  used for data collection were valid and reliable

iii.            That the responses from the questionnaire are true.

1.9    Scope of the Study

         The study is limited to corporal punishment and its effects on disciplinary control. The study was limited to the variables under study. It is also limited to the randomly selected primary schools in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State.

1.10   Limitation of the Study

         It is obvious that some shortcomings exist in this study. First the existence of extraneous variables is hot ended as it might in one way or the other affect the outcome of the study.

Other limitations of this study include limited time, shortage of funds and insufficient human and materials resources. There was also a problem of lack of transportation facilities to cover a wide area for a broacher generalization of results.

Another limitation will be the poor attitude of the respondents towards responding to the questionnaire items due to mixed feelings. But this will be overcome when the researcher assure them of the confidentiality of the information provided.

1.11    Operational definition of terms

Discipline: This refers to any change in a human or animal’s surroundings that occurs after a given behaviour or response, which reduces the likelihood of that behaviour occurring again in the future.

Punishment: Punishment is the authoritative imposition of something negative or unpleasant on a person, animal, organization or entity in response to behavior deemed unacceptable by an individual, group or other entity.

Corporal

Lateness:

Truancy:

Delinquency:

Control:

Pupils:

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