JAMAICAJAMAICAA UNICEF report published in 2010 states that 89% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent discipline (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in 2005-2006. Over three quarters experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage (33%) of mothers and caregivers thought that physical punishment was necessary in childrearing, and non-violent discipline was also widely used: experienced by 89% of children. Nine per cent of children experienced severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with an implement) and 77% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). Children aged 5-9 were more likely to experience violent discipline than those of other ages: 92% of children aged 5-9 compared to 90% of children aged 2-4 and 86% of children aged 10-14. Children living in households with adults with a higher average level of education were less likely to experience violent discipline than those living with less educated adults. Children engaged in child labour experienced violent discipline more than those who were not engaged in child labour: 95% compared to 89%. No significant differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to sex or household size.
(UNICEF, 2010, Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY: UNICEF)
A 2010 government sponsored attitudinal survey of 1,000 adults, carried out by Market Research Services Limited, revealed that the majority – regardless of socio-economic status – believe beating a child is necessary in correcting bad behaviour; 30% supported ending the beating of children. More than half (51.8%) did not agree that acts such as pinching, hitting the head, biting, kicking and thumping a child constituted corporal punishment. 51% said that they had physically punished a child. However, 80% of those surveyed agreed that parents could use other forms of discipline that are just as effective.
(Reported in The Gleaner, 17 February 2010, http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100217/lead/lead4.html)
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, in 2005-2006 six per cent of disabled children and six per cent of non-disabled children were hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over as hard as possible with an implement. Six per cent of girls and women aged 15-49 thought that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
(UNICEF, 2009, Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF)
Focus group research with parents, children aged 5-8 years and practitioners in 2007 found that young children were still receiving corporal punishment despite the prohibition in the Early Childhood Act passed in 2005.
(Reported in The Jamaica Observer, 6 June 2007)
According to a study reported in The Gleaner in March 2007, in a survey of teachers from all types of primary educational settings, one in four admitted to flogging students often and one in three to pinching and thumping them. Boys were more likely to be flogged. Less than a quarter of teachers believed beating was effective, and almost half identified negative effects they had seen, including students becoming oppositional, aggressive, destructive towards school property, gathering peer support against teachers, and becoming “disconnected” from school activities.
(Reported in Jamaica Gleaner Online, 21 March 2007)
A survey conducted in July 2006 for The Gleaner found that 60% of respondents were in favour of spanking and caning in schools, with 28% feeling strongly that teachers should be given the right to physically punish students. Over a third (37%) opposed corporal punishment, including 13% who were strongly against it.
(Reported in “Jamaica Gleaner-Bill Johnson Poll – Majority support caning in schools”, Jamaica Gleaner Online, 19 August 2006)
203 parents (71.3% mothers, 6.4% fathers, and other caregivers) from across six parishes, of 100 boys and 103 girls aged between 5 and 7, completed questionnaires which were administered by trained interviewers, followed by an investigation into the frequency of use of specific disciplinary methods. Of the 193 parents who responded to questionnaires about the disciplinary methods they used in their homes, 28% reported that non-violent methods were most commonly used; 25.4% reported psychological aggression and 46.6% physical assault. Of those reporting physical assault, 1% reported pinching, 31.1% spanking, 13% beating with an object, 1% shaking, and 0.5% tying of hands. In the week prior to the interview, 1% reported spanking more than 7 times, 3.1% 4-6 times, and 27.4% 1-3 times. Beating with a strap was reported as occurring 1-3 times over the same period by 14.6% of respondents.
(Samms-Vaughan, M., Williams, S. & Brown, J., 2004, Disciplinary Practices among parents of six-year-olds in Jamaica, University of the West Indies)
Research was undertaken into the experiences of 1,720 children aged 11-12 (51.5% girls, 48.4% boys; 68.7% in primary schools, 32.3% in secondary schools) on conflict resolution measures between themselves and adults at home and school (the schools were in two urban parishes). Overall, 97.2% of children reported a lifetime experience of verbal aggression or violence resulting from conflict with adults in the home, with 82.3% reporting verbal aggression, 87.4% minor violence, and 84.8% severe violence. The preferred methods of resolving conflict between adults and children in the home were pushing, grabbing and slapping (86%) or beating with an object (84.2%). The main cause of conflict was reported as disobedience (reported by 73.5% of children). The mother was most frequently reported as responsible for administering discipline (73.7%, cf. fathers 30.5%, uncles and aunts 9.2%, grandparents 7.6%, siblings 4.6% and step-parents 2.7%). With regard to conflict resolution between teachers and children, a total of 86.2% of children reported a lifetime prevalence of verbal aggression or physical violence, with verbal aggression reported by 49.3%, minor violence by 74% and severe violence by 75.4%. The most common forms of resolving conflict were reported as pushing, grabbing or slapping (with a lifetime prevalence of 70.8%) and beating with an object (75.3%). For 64% of children there were no incidents in the four weeks prior to the survey, but for some such incidents occurred daily. Most physical punishment was administered by the class teacher (83.3%), followed by the principal (9.1%), the vice principal (3.9%) and subject teachers (1.7%).
(Samms-Vaughan, M. et al., 2004, “Jamaican Children’s Experiences of Corporal Punishment at Home and School”, University of the West Indies/Ministry of Health, University of Missouri-Columbia)
In a focus group with twenty children aged 10-18 years, living in children’s homes and “places of safety” in Jamaica, a common thread that ran through their conversations was the beatings given by Housemothers and ‘Aunties’. Corporal punishment was also raised as a concern in a focus group with workers for NGOs, and in written submissions from members of the public.
(Keating, S., 2003, A Review of Children's Homes,
www.jamaicansforjustice.org/docs/Keating Report.pdf)