Physical Punishment in Childhood : The Rights of the Child

Providing a wide spectrum of views, the authors explore the fine line between normalized physical punishment and illegal or unacceptable physical and emotional abuse of children. It builds on the emerging field of research that provides opportunities for children to speak for themselves about their views and experiences. Provides observations from children, professionals and several generations from within individual families Discusses the power of language used by parents, professionals and the media to describe physical punishment Reflects upon the status of children in societies that sanction their physical punishment, motivations and justifications for its use, perceptions of its effectiveness, and its impact Presents a combination of personal, social, legal, and language factors which provide significant new insights and suggest ways to move forward Dr Bernadette Saunders is a Senior Research Fellow at Child Abuse Prevention Research Australia, and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Work, Monash University where she teaches Law and Social Justice. She received an Australian Postgraduate Award, and the support of the Australian Childhood Foundation, to pursue her doctoral research on physical punishment. Professor Chris Goddard is Director of Child Abuse Prevention Research Australia, Monash University. His previous book Human Rights Overboard: Seeking Asylum in Australia (with Linda Briskman and Susie Latham, 2008) won the Australian Human Rights Literature Non-Fiction Award. "Physical Punishment in Childhood explores the fine line between normalized physical punishment and illegal or unacceptable physical and emotional abuse of children. It presents important insights into this controversial issue from child ren, parents, grandparents and professionals who work with children. The authors reflect upon the status of children in societies that sanction physical punishment, the motivations and justiAcations for its use, perceptions of its effectiveness, and its impact; they also explore the power of the language used by parents, professionals and the media to describe physical punishment." "This book will be of value to child protection workers, children's legal representatives and practitioners, police officers, family court counsellors, psychologists who come into contact with children and families, those working in schools and pre-schools, and medical pract itioners who treat children and identify child abuse."--Jacket Physical Punishment in Childhood: The Rights of the Child......Page 1 Contents......Page 9 Acknowledgements......Page 11 1: Introduction......Page 13 2: Childhood and physical punishment in historical perspective......Page 23 3: Legal responses to physical punishment......Page 37 4: Conducting sensitive and ethical research with children and adults......Page 61 5: Experiences of physical punishment at home, at school and in public places......Page 75 6: Public and professional perceptions of the effectiveness of physical punishment......Page 105 7: The subjugation of children through language and physical punishment......Page 131 8: The effects of physical punishment......Page 153 9: The persistence of physical punishment......Page 177 10: The morality of physical punishment......Page 215 11: An ideal childhood......Page 241 References......Page 247 Index......Page 273 Introduction -- Childhood And Physical Punishment In Historical Perspective -- Legal Responses To Physical Punishment -- Conducting Sensitive And Ethical Research With Children And Adults -- Experiences Of Physical Punishment At Home, At School And In Public Places -- Public And Professional Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Physical Punishment -- The Subjugation Of Children Through Language And Physical Punishment -- The Effects Of Physical Punishment -- The Persistence Of Physical Punishment -- The Morality Of Physical Punishment -- An Ideal Childhood. Bernadette J. Saunders And Chris Goddard. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [235]-259) And Index.