Problem
Corporal punishment in schools
Other Names:
Flogging in schoolsBeating school students
Caning in schools
Physical punishment of students
Nature:
Schools may condone or even encourage the physical punishment of students. Hitting a child, either with the hand or with a implement (e.g. a cane, rod, or strap), forcing a child to assume physically debilitating positions (e.g. kneeling, holding the arms above the head), subjecting a child to physical dangers (e.g. holding a live electrical wire, forcing the ingestion of purgatives), or otherwise assaulting a child: physical abuse is considered an appropriate means to exact obedience and respect from the child.
Incidence:
Although Japanese law prohibits corporal punishment in schools, statistics show that one Japanese student dies at the hands of a teacher every two years. Popular opinion is still in favour of corporal punishment: when a 16 year old girl died after her teacher slammed her head against a stone pillar because she did not agree that her skirt was too short, some 75,000 people across the country signed a petition supporting the teacher.
Broader Problems:
Corporal punishmentUnethical practices in educationPhysical maltreatment of children Related Problems:
Parental punishment Subject(s):
Education → SchoolsEducation → Students
Societal Problems → Maltreatment
Societal Problems → Punishment
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Problem Type:
E: Emanations of other problems Date of last update
04.10.2020 – 22:48 CEST