What is Punishment?

It is an action (penalty) that is

imposed on a person for breaking
a rule or showing improper
conduct. Punishment aims to
control behavior through negative
means.
Two types of Punishment:
1.) Punishment involving negative verbal
reprimands and disapproval; this type of
punishment is also known as negative
discipline.
2.) Punishment involving severe physical or
emotional pain, as in corporal punishment.
Punishment -
Negative discipline is a form of punishment meant
to control a student’s behaviour, but oftentimes
it involves only short verbal commands or
statements and does not lead to an outright,
often severe penalty, such as being hit or
painfully humiliated. Teachers who do not use
corporal punishment may use negative
discipline approaches instead. But like corporal
punishment, these also can cause children to
become angry and aggressive or have low self-
esteem.
Punishment -
Negative discipline includes:
Commands – “Sit down and be quiet!” “Write 100 times, “I
will not waste my time on meaningless tasks.”
Forbidding statements – “Don’t do that!”
Explosive, angry statements – “You’re in more trouble than
you know.”
Criticizing statements – “Is that the best you can do!”
Threatening statements – “If you don’t stop talking, I’ll send
you to the Principal’s office.”
Belittling statements – “When will you ever learn to write
well?”
Punishment -
What constitutes Corporal Punishment?
1.Hitting the child with the hand or with an object
(such as a cane, belt, whip, shoe,
book,ruler,etc.);
2. Kicking, shaking,or throwing the child;
3. Pinching or hair pulling;
4. Forcing a child to undergo excessive physical
exercise or forced labour;
5. Burning or otherwise scarring the child
6. Forcing the child to eat foul substances
(such as soap).
Punishment -
While corporal punishment is meant to
cause physical pain, emotional
punishment is meant to humiliate the child
and cause psychological pain.
Does Corporal Punishment Work?

What Are The Consequences

Corporal punishment persists largely because
teachers believe that it works; it’s effective. But is it?
Research spanning over two decades has shown that
the only positive outcome of corporal punishment is
immediate compliance, while its negative consequences
far outweigh this outcome.
The use of corporal punishment rarely produces the
desired result, that is, positive, lasting behaviour change
in the student. On the
contrary, it can have very dire, negative consequences
for the child and for you.
Punishment
When we use corporal punishment, the results are unpredictable.
They include sadness, low self-esteem, anger, rage, aggressive
behaviour, desire for revenge, nightmares and bedwetting,
disrespect for authority, higher states of depression, anxiety,
drug use, sexual abuse, child abuse, spousal abuse, child
delinquency, and, of course, more corporal punishment.
In the long term, children who have been physically punished
have been shown to develop anti-social behaviour and are likely to
resort to violence quickly, thus creating a continuum of physical
abuse from one generation to the next. By using violence, we
teach violence.
Discipline
• The Meaning of Discipline
• Discipline is an often misused word, especially when it is mistakenly
• equated with punishment. To many teachers, discipline means punishment.
• “This child needs disciplining” translates into “This child needs spanking
• or caning.” This is WRONG!
• Discipline is the practice of teaching or training a person to obey
• rules or a code of behaviour in both the short and long terms.24,25
• While punishment is meant to control a child’s behaviour, discipline
• is meant to develop a child’s behaviour, especially in matters of conduct.
• It is meant to teach a child self-control and confidence by focusing on
Discipline
• what it is we want the child to learn and what the
child is capable of
• learning. It is the basis for guiding children on
how to be in harmony
• with themselves and get along with other
people. The ultimate goal
• of discipline is for children to understand their
own behaviour, take
• initiative, be responsible for their choices, and
respect themselves and
• others.
Discipline
Discipline is: Punishment is:
• Giving children positive
• alternatives
Being told only what NOT to do
• Acknowledging or rewarding
• efforts and good behaviour
Reacting harshly to misbehaviour
• When children follow rules because
• they are discussed and agreed upon
When children follow rules because
they are threatened or bribed
• Consistent, firm guidance Controlling, shaming, ridiculing
• Positive, respectful of the child Negative and disrespectful of the
• child
• Physically and verbally non-violent Physically and verbally violentnd
aggressive
• Discipline is: Punishment is:
• Logical consequences that
• are directly related to the
• misbehaviour
• Consequences that are unrelated
• and illogical to the misbehaviour
• When children must make amends
• when their behaviour negatively
• affects someone else
• When children are punished for
• hurting others, rather than shown
• how to make ammends
• Understanding individual abilities,
• needs, circumstances, and
• developmental stages
• Inappropriate to the child’s
• developmental stage of life;
• individual circumstances, abilities,
• and needs are not taken into
• consideration
• Teaching children to internalize
• self-discipline
• Teaching children to behave well
• only when they risk getting caught
• doing otherwise;
• Listening and modelling Constantly reprimanding children
• for minor infractions causing them
• to tune us out (ignore us; not listen
• to us)
• Using mistakes as learning
• opportunities
• Forcing children to comply with
• illogical rules “just because you
• said so”
• Directed at the child’s behaviour, Criticizing the chil d,rather than
• never the child – your behaviour the child’s behavior – you are
• was wrong very stipid; you were wrong