Ending corporal punishment of children in Swaziland

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5. CHILDREN’S VIEWS OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENTAND OTHER FORMS OF HUMILIATING ANDDEGRADING PUNSIHMENTResearch and surveys on children’s views and experiences of corporal punishmentand other forms of humiliating and degrading punishment in Swaziland are verylimited. The only exception is a quantitative and qualitative survey of 2 750 Swazichildren’s views and experiences of these forms of punishment in the home andat school. There is a lack of information on children’s views and experiences ofpunishment in child care facilities, prisons, police stations and other institutions.In 2005, a survey of Swazi boys and girls aged 6-18 years explored children’sexperiences, views and feelings in relation to corporal punishment and otherforms of humiliating and degrading punishment. The survey had a quantitativecomponent, which included 2 366 children from all of Swaziland’s four regions,and a qualitative component, which included 384 children from the same fourregions. The quantitative component of the survey provides information about theprevalence of corporal and humiliating punishment, about levels of unacceptabilityof these forms of punishment, and about forms of discipline preferred by children.The qualitative part of the survey on the other hand gives more detailed informationabout the subject in children’s own words and assists in interpreting the quantitativedata. The findings of this survey are complex, with variations in how childrenexperience, perceive and respond to these forms of punishment, depending onfactors such as socio-economic status 22 , age and gender. Within this complexity thereare, however, some clear trends. 23It should be noted that the surveylooked at corporal punishmentand other forms of humiliating anddegrading punishment of childrenexperienced over a period of twoweeks. It is important to keep this inmind when comparing the findingsof this survey with other surveys,which might have used differenttime frames.It is clear from the study that many boysand girls of all ages in Swaziland experiencehigh levels of corporal punishment andother forms of humiliating and degradingpunishment in the home and at school. However, corporalpunishment – in many cases in the form of severe beatings withan object – is reported at school by considerable more childrenthan at home. 2412
Eighteen percent of children reported being subjected to corporal punishment bybeing hit with the hand in the home during a period of two weeks, and 28% ofchildren experienced corporal punishment in the form of being beaten with objectssuch as sticks, belts, sjamboks and whips during the same period. 25“My mother beat me with a belt on my back.I came home late from playing with my friends.”Boy, 9-12-year age group“She locked me into her room and hit me with a stick on my legs.She did not like it that I was playing with water.”Girl, 9-12-year age groupBoys aged 6-12 years described being beaten for breaking things, stealing, notlooking after livestock properly, going out to play instead of working, or playingout too late. Young children – mainly girls – were punished for issues related tohousehold chores. 26 “At home I did not want to look after cattle.I was made to fetch water and they beat me.”Boy, 9-12-year age groupOn many occasions corporal punishment was linked to additional punishment suchas chores, hard physical labour or withholding food. 27“I came home from playing soccer later than the expected timein the evening. I was beaten with a stick and denied food.”Boy, 13-18-year age group“I had not washed the dishes. My mother beat me, told me toleave home and ordered me to go and plough the fields.”Boy, 9-12-year age groupA number of children reported being beaten by parents or relatives while the adultswere under the influence of alcohol. 28“I had come homed during late hours by being held upwith my friends. My aunt was totally intoxicated.When I was asked why I came late at night, I tried toexplain but my explanation fell on deaf ears. I was cruellyflogged. I was beaten with a knobkerrie.”Boy, 13-18-year age group.Twenty percent of children reported being hit with a hand and 59% of childrenreported being beaten with an object at school during the two-week period. Inschools children are most often hit with the hand, sticks, canes, sjamboks andblackboard dusters. 2913
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Page 6 and 7: ABBREVIATIONSACRWCCBOCRCNGOUNAfrica
Page 8 and 9: 2. DEFINITION OF CORPORAL PUNISHMEN
Page 10 and 11: 3. WHY IS CORPORAL AND HUMILIATINGP
Page 12 and 13: 4. HOW COMMON IS CORPORAL ANDHUMILI
Page 16 and 17: “I was not able to count and I wa
Page 18 and 19: non-violent disciplinary measures i
Page 20 and 21: 6. SWAZILAND’S INTERNATIONAL OBLI
Page 22 and 23: 7. SWAZILAND‘S NATIONAL LAWSIn Sw
Page 24 and 25: 8. FREQUENTLY USED ARGUMENTS JUSTIF
Page 26 and 27: children, the smallest and most vul
Page 28 and 29: Banning corporal punishment will ju
Page 30 and 31: individual child. Below are a few g
Page 32 and 33: easons for the continued use of cor
Page 34 and 35: ResearchNational surveys comprising
Page 36 and 37: END NOTES1 Clacherty, G., Donald, D

Ending corporal punishment of children in Swaziland

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