Yesterday I was in a downtown Frankfurt shopping mall when I saw a small crying kid get slapped in the mouth by his mother in an effort to get him to stop crying. She hit him so hard and it was so sudden that Joan and I stared at each other as if we were in some kind of weird movie. Thankfully, this incident immediately got the attention of a nearby security guard too. Predictably, the kid started crying more and when it seemed as though the mother was ready to try again the security guard stepped up to her, they talked and she left the mall with her small child in a huff of indignation.
It seems to me that there are parents out there who are confused as to how to get their children under reasonable control and instead lash out with physical punishment. If, like with this person I told you about above, they are punishing children in public, what are they doing in privacy? The thought scares me and maybe it’s none of my business? Of course, it becomes all of our business if the child grows up with resentment and seeks revenge by lashing out at society.
The interesting thing is, physical punishment doesn’t work as a definitive solution and has proven to be counterproductive. Physically punished children may seem to comply and correct their behavior in the short term, but, if it is happening time and again, with the need to repeat such punishment, you would think a light would go on to seek a better solution, hopefully from a professional. In some cases it may be that both the child and the parent need help.
Now, I am not a doctor or any kind of ‘researcher’ but let me go ahead and throw something out there again, this is just from common sense and observation, if a child is physically punished enough it is highly likely going to create resentment and possibly lead to some kind of revenge either against the parent (s) or against society in some form or another at some time or another.
~Bryan
