The Effects of Corporal Punishment On Children in The Kumbungu District

ABSTRACT

The effectiveness of corporal punishment in child raising remains one of the hotly contested social issues in many societies including Ghana. Despite the many efforts by governments and civil society organizations to check the menace of corporal punishment, it is still practiced in ways that are unacceptable in many areas of the country, especially the area for this study work; Kumbungu District in the Northern Region of Ghana. The study sought to find out how corporal punishment adversely affects children’s health and educational development. A survey research design was employed in collecting data from 150 respondents comprising 100 children (50 in school and 50 out of school) and 50 adults (25 teachers and 25 parents) using questionnaires. The study found that children indeed received corporal punishment at home and school. The study also found that the main reason for meting out corporal punishment was for correction purposes.

 Thirdly, the study revealed that corporal punishment though did not pose significant danger to children’s health, a small proportion of them had sustained injuries through the practice. Another key finding of the study was that the awareness of child rights was limited to only teachers, and that parents and children were unaware of the rights of the child as provided for by law. The study therefore concludes that corporal punishment to a minimal extent had adverse effects on children’s health and educational development of the children in the Kumbungu District in the Northern Region of Ghana. Based on the above findings, the study recommends that, government of Ghana, through Ghana Education Service should revise the GES principle on discipline which still allow caning up to six strokes. Secondly, the national institutions like the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the National University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh xi Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) which are responsible for protecting and educating the citizenry.