Call for corporal punishment return is dangerous - Lal

Corporal punishment is child abuse, plain and simple, and for a leader to advocate further violence against children, is unconscionable.

This was the statement from Executive Director of Dialogue Fiji, Nilesh Lal in response to recent comments by the President of the Fijian Teachers Association, Netani Druavesi who advocated for the return of corporal punishment.

Lal says it is a disturbing sign of societal regression that it is now deemed acceptable, even normal, for someone to publicly call for the re-institution of such a violent and outdated practice.

He says that only the most callous and unthinking parents would allow strangers to hit their young children.

Lal adds that studies consistently show corporal punishment does not work, and instead, it normalizes aggression, promotes a violent society, and leads to more antisocial behavior, increased defiance, and poorer academic outcomes, as children struggle to learn in fear-based environments.

He also questioned whether the FTA President truly wishes to propagate this cycle of violence and asked if Druavesi is aware of the findings from these studies.

In a nation where child abuse rates are already alarming, Lal described Druavesi’s call as dangerous and irresponsible.

He further said that as the Assistant Minister for Women and Children Sashi Kiran revealed in August, five out of every six Fijian children experience abuse or neglect.

Lal pointed out that the Fiji Police Force reported 324 cases of child sexual abuse in just the first half of this year alone, saying it is a sickening indictment of society that children suffer abuse at such rates.