What is the proper way to punish a child who breaks the rules around the home? Parents punish their children in many different ways. Some take away their toys, and others just give them some time out away from everything and everyone.
Punishment is preventing a child to visit friends or to go out to play for some time. Punishment is making a child do extra normal chores around the house. Punishment is not allowing a child to do some of his/her favorite things. There are so many safe ways to punishing a child who misbehaves.
But certainly making a child sit in hot water is not punishment that is child abuse. Pressing a hot iron on a child’s skin is not punishment that is child abuse. Beating a child with a wire is not punishment it is child abuse. Making a child eat his/her feces is not punishment it is child abuse.
I came across a chilling story this morning on PeaceFm online, and thought it wise to share with some of my readers here on GhanaCelebrities.Com.
Most often I read about articles and see images of children being tortured for doing things that most children do such as urinating on a bed, taking fish from the stew or soup etc. However, the punishment that comes with such acts from some parents, grandparents or guardians can be disturbing and so inhumane.
An 11-year old girl who lives with his grandparents at Kpeshie in Accra was asked to sit in a pot of boiling water for wetting her bed overnight. These grandparents tortured and watched their own grandchild go through the agony of sitting in the water until she was badly burned. And after conducting such an evil act, they didn’t even bother to send her to a hospital, instead they kept her in the room to try and conceal their evil deeds.
The poor girl was left in the room lying face down on a bed because she could neither sit nor lay on her back due to her wounds. The girl was in pain, and instead of seeking medical attention for her, so she doesn’t die of her wounds, they tried to treat her wounds with gentian violet ( a purple liquid solution that is used to treat wounds).
Unfortunately, the grandparents lack run out when a concerned neighbor who hadn’t seen the child for five days began to suspect foul play. The neighbor went to report the case to the police, and with the help of the informant, the grandparents were arrested at home and the child was taken to the Police Hospital in Accra where she is receiving treatment for her wounds.
Sometime last year, I saw a picture of a 6 year old girl who was beaten with wires and burned with iron by her aunt and husband. The girl was kept in a room for weeks, and was tortured for nothing. The culprits were arrested, but unfortunately they were given a long bail to go and continue with their daily work while the girl continued to suffer.
Greed has overtaken some members of our judicial system and the police force. Criminals are able to pay huge sums of money to be set free after committing heinous crimes.
Is our system failing the children and the poor in society? What is your take on this?
Child abuse means doing something that hurts a child. This may be physical, emotional, or sexual.
Neglect happens when a child does not get the shelter, schooling, clothing, medical care, or protection he or she needs. Child neglect is just as serious as abuse and is even more common.
I got spanked. I deserved it. My parents were really light on punishment though, I never got grounded. Then again I mostly behaved.
As the name implies, punishment is to teach you that you did wrong. If the punishment is excessive beyond punishment, it’s abuse. But I realise that children in Africa really get abused the picture above says allot and I feel for those children who go through this day in day out sometimes I wonder what goes through their parents head
@Dr.miyagi, Great point Dr. I do feel pain and sadness for all these children who have no power nor the voice to defend themselves. And where society lets them down at times too.
@GC Staff, its very sad but i think the only way to stop child abuse is to not keep quiet about it. It’s about time that family members back home report any suspicious thing they see . if any abuse is suspected, do not hesitate to call the police. It’s better safe than to be sorry for the child’s sake.
Also, another way to stop child abuse is for those adults who have mental problems to stop breeding… and I mean mental problems like alcoholism, severe bipolar disorder cause they can’t get pregnant Carry a child for nine months go through all the pain and abuse him or her just like that I also believe that a website as ghana celebrities can do something about it don’t just report it but team up with radio stations and do something about don’t just talk about but do something about it if this website is more than 7 figures than I’m sure you can donate some as well as the readers (just a though) like the bible says “Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”
@Dr.miyagi, yes the right thing to do,very wise move there .
@27cдгibre(Ф_ф), thanks bro lets see what will happen
Am a hash deciplinarian, and very strict on my kids. But I always find myself broken at heart when i read these things. I heard the news on air.
Growing up, we all usually get dousch when we wet beds too frequent and expecially when you happen to be older. Or the old folks wil even deny u food expecially late evenings.
But seriously this will send you to jail in America and trust me Ghana is good at sending child abussers to jail too! I was thinking they wanted to dousch her, but the Vajayjay is in the front area and not the behind! their refusing to give her medical attn and the child’s claims that this is requent needs to be investigated!! I will love to adopt her if her biological parents will let me.
Humm one tym i accidentally hurt my son by throwing something at him. He was deeply asleep when i noticed he has a clot of bubble blood off his shoulder.
I took him to the ER even though i was secared to death!
he got treated, and we had a long talk of him telling me the truth. the scar still reminds me of knowing how close i came to….. u know. But our spare the rod and spoil the chils adage is going wrongly or abusively of late!
@betty, strict punishment to a child dont solve the problems it creat a monster in a child…
Talk to your child amicably n the child will listen,children are smarter.
What I think we Ghanaians or Africans don’t understand is what the punishment is supposed to do for the child (just to realize that what he/she did is unacceptable and should do better next time). Not put fear in the child that she/he doesn’t want to approach you any longer. We need to get the parent or guardian to understand that children will always be children and do certain things and that the duty is to use a measure that makes the child turn around and thank you some day for doing what you did to them.
@Sally, Growing up in Ghana, I had some displine instilled in me by my dad. He was strict, yet loving. He beat us, scolded at us, and even made us kneel down sometimes, but it was all good. His discipline has built us up to be strong and outspoken. It has made to us survive anywhere we find ourselves. I discipline my children, but just as you said I find my self breaking down when I find the discipline a bit harsh, and trust me it has never gotten to this point. Not even a tenth of this.
@Sally, strict punishment to a child is like feeding the child with drug,
The child knows that any time he do this or that you will punish him so he will do it by saying even if I do it or not Dady will punish me so why not do it,n the more you punish him the more he develops evil in his or her brain by this he will become heartless and this gonna be the monster you gonna deal with when you are old and not enough to talk or punish your child
God this is terrible and sad… such punishment still esist in the society….. i feel like cryin cos i rememba some terrible moment i went thru wen i was a kid… there was a time my Mum warn me neva to use a glass (Jug) to drink water… i was 7 rs old.. one day i just took the glass a fetch water for my little friend who came to visit me.. my mum wasnt at home but unfortunately de glass fell down n got broken into pieaces… i run away from home n hide outside cos i knew she was goin to kill me.. wen she return she started screamin who broke her glass… she was searchin for me everywhere.. i was soo scared but i went home cos it was gettin late out der…. immediately i entered de room she just gave me a heavy slap which i fell down n couldn see anywhere else again…. later she took a long rod the 1 we use for Banku to hit my left hand on the floor… i was cryin so loudly n she den held my neck that if i continue to scream she ll kill me alive…. they followin mornin i found ma left arm swollen…… ma mum was sooo wicked those times …….. Later, wen she left ghana for abroad i went n stay with ma aunty… i was 8 and half….. she ask me to go n fetch water but i went out to go n play ampe with ma friends… wen i got home a huge cane was hidden behind her… she layed me on 1 table n gave me 9 lashes on ma back n six lashes on ma fingers which i lost 1 of my finger nail with blood…. i was cryin like hell and even cursed her in a loud voice that for what she has done to me… she ll neva be able to av children of her own… hmmm i shouldnt av curse her cos till now ma aunty has become a barren woman… she has been married for 12 yrs now but cannot give birth…. i av got soo much stories but i can share all…. hmmm Chris thanx for this topic..
@RocklynLove, sounds like you been through allot as a child, how is your relationships with your mum an aunt now? And did you ever manage to ask her what went through her head to do such a thing while you where getting older better, and much respect for not doing graze things cause things could have turned really bad for you
One more thing this is not a topic that belongs to chris but someone else give that person who posted this some credit abaa
@Dr.miyagi, hmmm all is well u knw… ma mum n i are veri close…. and av neva hestitate to ask her…. in fact i av forgotten all those things… and de relatioship btween ma aunt n i is ok too…. she has been callin me to send her money for operation but iam not ready to do that… meself i need money….. i told her to ask her siblings not me…
@RocklynLove, thanks good news
PpAbuse is that which inflicts scar both physically, emotionally, and even mentally. Beating up someone n a child to be precise and a mark is traced, or sexually to under aged defenseless children, causing atrocities infront of a child causing mental damage, and few that’s not mentioned is abuse and needs to be reported. We are all mandated reporters to report abuse
Neglect:- when u fail to do what is right to protect a child. Not dressing a child appropriately for the weather, kids being unkept, starving kids for long hours are all torture but there is a remedy but adults need to treat kids right.
Anything an adult does example beating a child out of anger is unacceptable. If u want a child to understand his/her wrongs, put the child on timeout for few minutes according to age and then TALK to the child to understand the wrong. I may sound funny to my fellow Africans but if out of anger u hit a child n he/she drops dead, what will u say? Or get the child to run ten miles, what did the child understand by running and how will u account for the change?
I speak to you all as a childcare giver and State Mandated Reporter, let’s treat children right. It’s better to yes be stern and raise ur children right than be behind bars in regret. Beating never changes anything but a matter of feeling the pain, it gets cold n u do the same thing again. Get the child to understand and help them thru proper directions.
Nurture a child the way you want to see them turn out to be. The only way you can help a child is to lead them in the right direction. Be role models. You don’t expect a child to act right If you the adult he/she copies from is doing wrong. Lead by example
@Massah Saffa, very great nice point,
In this modern world ,every child is matured ,i am sure 79% ,so what you have to do is talk to the child like an adult give her the respect that he or she deserves,if you talk to her in a good way she will listen,in this 21century every child knows good and bad ,kids are even smarter than some parents n they know good and bad.
Give respect to the child ,beating ,shouting,torturing,disrespecting the child wont WORK.A child deserves RESPECT TOO
And to the parents who are are habitual drinkers,smokers,drug users whether you drink to eat or smoke out your problems.
I have one thing for you your child is looking,your child is watching,even if you dont let your child see you doing that.
WITH THE ABOVE PROBLEMS YOU MIGHT NOT BE THE LUCKY ONE YOUR CHILD WILL LEARN FROM YOU ,YOUR CHILD WILL EVEN BE PERFECT THAN YOU COS HE OR SHE SAW IT FROM INFANCY ,COS THE CHILD THINKS EVERYTHING THE PARENTS DO IS THE RIGHT THING ,SO HE WANT TO SMELL LIKE DADY OR MUMMY SO WHY NOT SMOKE TOO.
If you are a young guy or girl n you know you drink or smoke please STOP before you marry to have.a baby if you love your child
Just yesterday 14 yrs I guess took a knife to cut a lil childs neck ,just BECAUSE HE HAS SMOKED WEEDS I heard the news from peace fm actually I dont know the details.
All am trying to say is 85% of people who are addicted to smoking,drinking etc weren’t lucky it not their fault ,they had bad parenting I mean parents who smokes,peer pressure,they where exposed to those kind of things.
So if you are a young guy come on you can prevent your child from it by
SETTING A GOOD EXAMPLE (: