Tag: corporal punishment

Honor Thy Children (to save humanity)

Posted on by kathiemm

by Kathie MM

Cloe Axelson in a WBUR Cognoscenti article tells us, “The kids have something to say, and we should listen.” And she’s right.

Axelson’s article focuses on student activists who survived last February’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in which 17 died.

Parkland was not the first example of a mass school shooting in this country; given that the United States has become a nation in which nearly 100 people die daily from guns, it is unlikely to be the last. [I hope you are as horrified to read these words as I am to write them and are thinking of ways to fight the NRA’s deadly work for the arms industry.]

One of the highlights of Axelson’s article is her reminiscence about another young student, Mary Beth Tinker, who was suspended from her middle school in Iowa in the 1960s for wearing a black arm band to school to protest the Vietnam War. The ACLU took her case on behalf of student rights to free speech all the way to the Supreme Court, where she won her case in a 7-2 decision. 

I have same hypotheses about the child-rearing Mary Beth and other student activists experienced.  I believe that in general, they were not bullied and beaten by their parents.  They were not sent off to military schools to straighten them out.  They were not told to shut their traps, mind their own beeswax, watch out or they’d get what was coming to them, obey…or else.

More likely, young activists like these are allowed to ask questions, wonder about injustices, read widely, educate themselves about society’s ills, and even speak out about problems they see in their communities and beyond—nurtured rather than suppressed, taught to love rather than to hate, urged to strive for a better society rather than become bullies themselves.

“Beating the devil” out of kids is not a path to a better world. Corporal punishment can beat out a lot of potential for developing a universal ethic and sense of justice—and perhaps destroy our only hope for survival of the planet. If you want to stop violence in and to the world, work to end violence in the home.

And inspire yourself! Hear Mary Beth today in this brief video.

https://nowthisnews.com/videos/news/mary-beth-tinker-talks-about-her-role-in-the-history-of-student-rights

A father’s day for peace

Posted on by kathiemm

The hype abounds and you are bound to know: June 16, the third Sunday in June, is Father’s Day. Long promoted by commercial interests, Father’s Day did not become an official holiday in the U.S. until 1972. Unlike Mother’s Day, it did not originate as a Father’s Day of Peace. But it could become one.

An Internet search for “mothers against war” provides a link for “Mothers Against War” and many similar links. Searching for “fathers against war,” however, provides links for “War Against Fathers,” which rails against the “feminization” of men.

Similarly, searching for “mothers against guns” leads to links for “Mothers Against Guns,” “Moms Against Guns,” and lots of similar links. But “fathers against guns” provides links to sites regarding views on guns from the U.S. founding fathers, a link to “Dads love lasers on guns,” and a suggestion that children buy a laser for Dad’s gun for Father’s Day.

On the brighter side, there’s a link to a Facebook page for 1,000,000 moms and dads against gun violence, which leads to a trailer for a powerful anti-gun violence film.

This Sunday, let us honor fathers who:

  • rear their children in love and security
  • refrain from spanking, beating, or terrorizing their children
  • promote nonviolence in their homes, their communities, and their countries
  • promote peace and social justice

Our country has provided some superb role models for fathers and father figures for peace, nonviolence, and social justice. Here are a few men and organizations that we will be honoring on Sunday:

Kathie Malley-Morrison, Professor of Psychology

How do we end violence against children? Let me count the ways.

Posted on by kathiemm

Violence confronts children at every level of society–in their relationships with parents and siblings, in the home, at school, and in the media and values that dominate their nation.

  • Hitting, punching, kicking are forms of violence.
  • Humiliation is a form of violence.
  • Poverty, discrimination, and the denial of opportunities are forms of violence.

How do we end these?

Laws do not solve all problems, but laws against corporal punishment—as have been enacted in many Western European and other nations—send a message and set a standard for parenting behavior.

Education does not solve all problems, but citizen education concerning alternatives to corporal punishment and psychological maltreatment can contribute to the development of healthier environments in which children can learn and play without constant fear of  harm from others.

Efforts at social reform are not always successful. Yet recognition and commitment to social justice, equal opportunity, and equal protection will increase the likelihood that children can be provided with enough food to eat, safety to survive, and opportunity to become positive contributors to society.

You can help in each of these areas. How?

  • Find positive ways to deal with your own inevitable anger and frustration when you feel disappointed with the people you love and/or for whom you feel responsible.
  • Be aware of and responsive to what is going on in local schools in your community. Is bullying widespread? Is anything being done about it? Do children have safe places to play?
  • Listen to leaders at the neighborhood, state, and national level. What agendas do they promote—equal opportunity and social justice? Or the rights of the rich and powerful at the expense of everyone else? Listen, learn, and decide what will contribute most to healthy environments for all children. Then take action.

To learn more, please watch “A mission to end child abuse.”

Kathie Malley-Morrison, Professor of Psychology