|
|
The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search |
|
a healthy church...transformingLIFE |
|
|
|
Banning physical punishment for childrenby Bishop John
Harrower The Office of the Commissioner for Children is currently putting forward submissions to the Law Reform Institute of Tasmania on the proposal to repeal the defence of domestic discipline of children. My comments on this subject are listed below. Helping parents steer a wise course, avoiding the damaging extremes of abuse at one end, and no discipline at the other, has been an age-old issue. The biblical writings provide foundational principles, plus some practical tips for parents. In the Christian tradition our Lord Jesus Christ shows a deep love and concern for children. See Matthew 18:5,6; 21:16; Mark 10:16; Luke 18:15,16; and Acts 2:39. Jesus' love for children is to be our love for children. Children are bearers of the image of God (Genesis 1:26,27) and are to be given the dignity and respect that is to be accorded to every person. This basic recognition is to be joined with their vulnerability and their need for nurture and protection by their parents and society. Children are entrusted by God to the love and care of their parents in particular and the wider community in general. This care calls for wisdom, compassion, courage and discipline. We are enjoined to raise our children in love and discipline. Biblically, discipline is educative as well as punitive and has important pastoral implications. The Wisdom literature calls for discipline which leads to understanding (Proverbs 15:32) and physical punishment may be part of this (Proverbs 13:24, cf. 29:15). Such discipline gives hope for change of behaviour (Proverbs 19:18) drives out folly (22:15), and gives life to those who receive it (4:13). Punishment must be exercised in love (13:24), not anger. The raising of children must reflect God's love (Ephesians 5 & 6). Discipline, though firm, is not to be harsh or unbalanced, not thundering anger to the neglect of encouragement otherwise children will become resentful and angry. Discipline can take many forms and physical punishment is but one form of discipline. Neither authoritarianism nor permissiveness is a valid option for the healthy growth of children. The issues you are rightly concerned about have exercised parents for thousands of years. As is apparent from the above, the biblical writers also tried to guide parents to avoid the twin dangers of the extremes at one end of damaging abuse, and at the other of lack of discipline. They are still the twin dangers today, and as we both know, it is very hard in practice to define those danger points without skewing things to the opposing danger point. Modern parenting is extremely difficult and we need to empower parents to parent better, not disempower them. Many who choose either of these damaging extremes, often do so because they feel powerless and lack skills in any alternative options. I believe we will reduce the number of children who receive any form of physical punishment far more by skilling parents in alternative options, than we ever will by making them feel even more disempowered by removing the option of even the mildest physical reproof. Also who is going to define emotional injury? Many young persons would define themselves as emotionally injured and their whole life blighted when they are not permitted to go out where they wish to, or when their pocket money is reduced for a misdemeanor, or when asked to do chores when they would prefer to listen to music. Also different cultures, for example, place different restrictions on the freedoms allowed teenage girls. Are you asking the courts to decide which of these issues is causing emotional injury? The law is often quite good at recognising the extremes of abuse, but to ask it to make judgment calls in a middle ground blurred with cultural, religious and class differences is asking for further problems and community divisiveness. In my view, by far the most effective way to reduce the amount of physical punishment of children is not by legislating over and above the existing child protection legislation, nor by divisive community education that says 'don't ever smack' - but by community education that says 'When your child does this, try this.' I suspect under proposed law, successful prosecutions would still only occur for those who bruise and batter children, and thankfully these prosecutions can already occur under current legislation. So I fear there would be no increase in successful prosecutions of abusive parents, but there would certainly be a most significant increase in family and community distress.
|
|
