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RESEARCH AND CHILDREN:UK – Scotland |
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It doesn't solve anything - A report on the views of children and young people about the use of physical punishment
This research by Save the Children in Scotland, carried out in 2000, built on the survey undertaken in England (see above) and was the first large scale survey of this kind undertaken in the UK. The full report is available from Save the Children Scotland (details below).
Between March and November 2000, Save the Children asked children and young people in Scotland about corporal punishment by parents and carers. The early findings formed part of Save the Children's response to the Scottish Executive's consultation paper "The Physical Punishment of Children in Scotland". The research was then extended to include the views and opinions of over 1300 children and young people across Scotland.
Method
Over 1300 children and young people, aged 6 to 18, throughout Scotland took part in focus groups and completed a questionnaire. The children and young people came from 30 primary schools and after-school groups and a number of other young people's groups throughout Scotland. Gypsy and traveller children also participated. Schools and organisations distributed letters to parents explaining the survey, and parents and children were assured of confidentiality of their responses and given the option to withdraw after the consultation.
Focus groups were held with 24 children aged 6-7 and with 6 young people aged 15-18. 1289 children completed questionnaires, which asked:
Why do you think adults hit children
How do you think a child feels after being hit by a parent or other adult?
When children do something wrong do you think there are other ways of sorting things out instead of hitting a child? (Yes, No, Suggestions ...)
Do you think that it is wrong for an adult to hit a child? (Yes, No, Because ...)
Key findings
94% of the children said there are many ways, other than using physical punishment, in which parents and adults can discipline children. Children would prefer them to use these alternatives, rather than hit them.
74% said it is wrong for a parent or other adult to hit a child.
Children view the use of physical punishment by adults as a spontaneous response to behaviour triggered by anger, frustration or stress. They do not view it as a reasonable act.
Children and young people used over forty different adjectives to describe how distressed they feel after a parent or other adult has hit them.
Children also feel confused because parents, teachers and other adults teach them that hitting is wrong. They then find it difficult to accept that the same adults who tell them not to hit other people, use physical punishment themselves to discipline children when they do something wrong.
Children firmly believe that physical punishment is wrong and that it sets a very bad example to young children by teaching them that the use of violence is an acceptable way to respond.
Children are concerned that the power exerted by an adult when hitting a child can result in a range of injuries from bruising to broken bones or even brain damage. They are aware of the huge physical difference in strength between adults and children and see it as a dangerous practice that should not be allowed.
What the children and young people said - a selection of responses
Of the 24 children aged 6-7 in the focus groups, around 25% thought smacking was an acceptable adult response to bad behaviour. However, when asked to write down their individual thoughts, only one child indicated it was a justifiable response. The rest were clear that it is wrong, that it hurts children and that it is ineffective and a bad example.
"I think smacking is bad because it hurts people" (6 year old boy)
"There is another way of sorting it out ... talking, chatting or grounding the child" (6 year old girl)
"If my Dad smacks me I think he should go to jail" (6 year old girl)
"It is bad, it makes you angry and you hate the parent for five hours"
"Children who are smacked might smack lots of people when they are older"
The young people aged 15-18 in the focus groups said:
"If a child gets hit when they are young it might impact on them to become violent when they are older and then it could impact on their children. I am not saying that it would, it could; then the child could become violent towards the parents and start hurting kids at their school and then when they have kids they could beat them up" (18 year old female)
"Sitting down and talking to them and asking them why they did what they did and explaining why it was wrong and why they shouldn't do it. It is better than hitting them because maybe they don't understand why their parents are hurting them and they become scared of that person" (15 year old female)
"So if you are out with your child and they do something wrong you are not going to start battering them in the middle of the town because everybody is going to say oh! and stare at you and stuff. So if you can learn not to do it in a public place why do it in your own home. Just because you happen to be behind closed doors and nobody can see you" (16 year old female)
"If it is against the law they are going to think twice before hitting a child" (17 year old female)
Responses to the questionnaire:
1. Why do you think adults hit children?
"I think adults hit children for being cheeky or bad" (10 year old girl)
"... to relieve anger or stress" (10 year old boy)
"... because they are not doing what they are told" (10 year old girl)
"I think because sometimes they (adults) just get too carried away" (9 year old boy)
2. How do you think a child feels after being hit by a parent or other adult?
"I think a child feels hurt and sad" (11 year old girl)
"Sore and hurt inside" (9 year old girl)
"We are scared" (9 year old girl)
"The child is ashamed and angry" (9 year old boy)
3. When children do something wrong do you think there are other ways of sorting things out instead of hitting a child?
"They should just talk to each other" (9 year old boy)
"Ground you, tidy up your room, clean the house" (9 year old boy)
"Saying sorry and forgiving them" (8 year old girl)
"I would just shout and send them to their room and come back down with a better attitude" (9 year old girl)
"Punishment does not mean hitting. Suitable punishments include grounding, making the child do chores, cutting off privileges such as pocket money or TV" (13 year old girl)
"Talk to the child and calm things down" (11 year old boy)
4. Do you think it is wrong for an adult to hit a child?
"They can bruise you or badly hurt you and if they do hit us we will just be bad again" (10 year old girl)
"They have a bigger and stronger hit ... and it could do serious damage or the child could take after the parents and hit younger people" (10 year old girl)
"What is it teaching them?" (10 year old boy)
"There is other ways to solve problems other than hitting and it doesn't do parents or children any good" (10 year old girl)
"It Doesn't Sort Anything!" A report on the views of children and young people about the use of physical punishment, written in 2001 by Elizabeth Cutting, is available from:
Save the Children in Scotland, 7th Floor Haymarket House, 8 Clifton Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 5DR, UK
Tel. +44 (0)131 527 8200
Fax +44 (0)131 527 8201
www.savethechildrenscot.org.uk