Pain, Poverty & Childhood
“Childhood should be
carefree, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the darkness of the soul”-
Dave Pelzer
Jamaica is often referred to as a Christian society. The society’s strong Judeo-Christian upbringing and socialization contribute to many of us being familiar with the Bible verse, Proverbs 13:24, “He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly”. By now everyone would have watched or have heard of the video involving a mother dressed only in her underwear beating her pre-teen daughter with a machete. By now you would have come to arrive at some conclusion. For some in the society the mother should serve time in prison, while for others the mother should be given some counseling as well as parenting sessions. Historically, there is a sub-culture of a totalitarian approach to discipline as it relates to our children. Our perception of discipline is often skewed and most times no one comes to the defense of the victim. “A bad di pickney bad” is alarmingly the sentiments many of us have towards instances with clearly are cases of child abuse.
Apart from the obvious beating seen on the video thanks to social media there are other underlying factors at play. Poverty has become a feature of many Jamaican families as more and more families struggle to provide even the basic needs of the household. According to the World Bank, Jamaica is an upper middle income country but is affected by low growth and high public debt. The World Bank added that over the last 30 years real per capita GDP increased at an average of just one per cent per year. Sadly, the gist of all the statistics is that for many Jamaicans poverty is real and is a present and present danger. The condemnation and outrage of the mother was swift and perhaps rightly so, however, we need to also spend some time interrogating the social factors which clearly have contributed to the level of frustration in which a mother would resort to beating her own child with a machete. Such factors include, a society of absent fathers, high levels of poverty, teenage pregnancy and unemployment and inadequate state support for the most vulnerable in the society.
Regrettably, as a society there is hardly any line of demarcation as it relates to disciplining a child and child abuse. The abuses many parents inflict on their children in the name of discipline has become culturally acceptable in many quarters and this has allowed many instances of child abuse to go unnoticed and unreported. Culturally, there is a widely held belief that parents cannot grow a child up without applying some form of corporal punishment. Indeed it is from Proverbs again, this time chapter 23:13 that I draw reference, “withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die” that undoubtedly, many Jamaicans take their cue as they try to curb maladaptive behaviours in their children. In many our homes there is an absence of fathers and this ‘single- parentness’ adds to the levels of frustration a significant numbers of mothers experience on a daily basis. Regardless, of whether one is a parent or not one can surmise how difficult it is for both parents to raise a child; it is even more challenging for a single parent to do so with the support of a spouse of extended family. It is common place for many parents to beat a child with the first object that is closest to them, this is especially so for rural areas. Another cultural factor which contributes greatly to our children being abused is the culture of silence which has become almost a badge of honour in many communities. Most disturbingly is the allegation that the person who made the video is a family member.
Legislation for the Protection of Children
It bares thought that for too many Jamaicans there is a disconnect between the Child Care & Protection Act and their reality in child rearing and the process of socialization. Under the Child Care and Protection Act (2004) Section 6 ii, an individual can be fined up to $500,000 or imprisonment not exceeding six months or both for failure to report child abuse. However, regardless of this many adults are complicit in acts of child abuse which allows the perpetrators to go unpunished while scaring the child permanently. Globally, children are protected by the Convention of the Rights of the Child. This Convention guarantees minimum standards for the protection of children against discrimination, protection and abuse. These rights can be broadly classified into three sections. These are; Provision Rights which include the right to receive or have access to a name, nationality, education, healthcare, rest, care and play for the disabled and orphan. Protection Rights; which outlines the right to be shielded from harmful acts and practices, for example, the right to be protection from commercial and sexual exploitation. Last but by no means least, the Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasizes Participation Rights, these include the child’s right to be heard, for example, freedom of speech and opinion. In spite of popular belief, to the contrary children do have rights and these rights must be enforced and protected.
The Way Forward
There is clearly a need for the society to revisit our parenting practices and skills in a society which is arguably a violent place to raise children. This mother clearly needs help not only in her questionable parenting skills set, but in practical terms of providing adequately for her children. The parish of St. Thomas is one of the poorest with little or no major economic activity. This adds a sense of hopelessness and invariably frustration which disturbingly, many parents act out on their children. The State agencies need to mobilize themselves, agencies such as the Child Development Agency (CDA) and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) urgently needs to so community development in and around the community to address among other issues the removal of zinc fence from where the individuals reside. The church also needs to do some more social outreach programme in communities such as Bath, in St. Thomas.
The National Parenting Support Commission also has a huge role to play, not only in this instance but in the wider society where bad parenting skills have not been exposed on social media but have become embedded and acceptable in many quarters.
Evidently we will be having this conversation for quite a while, let us not lose focus on the victim, she will clearly require long time counseling and psycho social support. A conscious and concerted effort must be made to break the culture and cycle of child abuse. The fact that the incident of the child’s abuse was captured on social media it is very likely that she will become a target for bullying in the future from her peers. As a result, guidance counsellors should be dispatch to her school immediately to sensitize the students about the negative effects of bullying, such as suicidal thoughts. Furthermore, the Education Act must be quickly revised to include a total ban on corporate punishment which is still being administered in some schools. Perhaps the way forward in this situation is not to imprison the mother. Maybe, this incident will be the one to awaken the society’s collective responsibility regarding child rearing which from all indications have gone dormant. We all need to examine ourselves.
“One knee does not bring up a child”- Tanzania Proverb
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
waykam@yahoo.com
@WayneCamo
#socialmedia #parenting #childabuse #poverty #education #family #culture #teenagepregnancy #bullying
Jamaica is often referred to as a Christian society. The society’s strong Judeo-Christian upbringing and socialization contribute to many of us being familiar with the Bible verse, Proverbs 13:24, “He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly”. By now everyone would have watched or have heard of the video involving a mother dressed only in her underwear beating her pre-teen daughter with a machete. By now you would have come to arrive at some conclusion. For some in the society the mother should serve time in prison, while for others the mother should be given some counseling as well as parenting sessions. Historically, there is a sub-culture of a totalitarian approach to discipline as it relates to our children. Our perception of discipline is often skewed and most times no one comes to the defense of the victim. “A bad di pickney bad” is alarmingly the sentiments many of us have towards instances with clearly are cases of child abuse.
Apart from the obvious beating seen on the video thanks to social media there are other underlying factors at play. Poverty has become a feature of many Jamaican families as more and more families struggle to provide even the basic needs of the household. According to the World Bank, Jamaica is an upper middle income country but is affected by low growth and high public debt. The World Bank added that over the last 30 years real per capita GDP increased at an average of just one per cent per year. Sadly, the gist of all the statistics is that for many Jamaicans poverty is real and is a present and present danger. The condemnation and outrage of the mother was swift and perhaps rightly so, however, we need to also spend some time interrogating the social factors which clearly have contributed to the level of frustration in which a mother would resort to beating her own child with a machete. Such factors include, a society of absent fathers, high levels of poverty, teenage pregnancy and unemployment and inadequate state support for the most vulnerable in the society.
Regrettably, as a society there is hardly any line of demarcation as it relates to disciplining a child and child abuse. The abuses many parents inflict on their children in the name of discipline has become culturally acceptable in many quarters and this has allowed many instances of child abuse to go unnoticed and unreported. Culturally, there is a widely held belief that parents cannot grow a child up without applying some form of corporal punishment. Indeed it is from Proverbs again, this time chapter 23:13 that I draw reference, “withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die” that undoubtedly, many Jamaicans take their cue as they try to curb maladaptive behaviours in their children. In many our homes there is an absence of fathers and this ‘single- parentness’ adds to the levels of frustration a significant numbers of mothers experience on a daily basis. Regardless, of whether one is a parent or not one can surmise how difficult it is for both parents to raise a child; it is even more challenging for a single parent to do so with the support of a spouse of extended family. It is common place for many parents to beat a child with the first object that is closest to them, this is especially so for rural areas. Another cultural factor which contributes greatly to our children being abused is the culture of silence which has become almost a badge of honour in many communities. Most disturbingly is the allegation that the person who made the video is a family member.
Legislation for the Protection of Children
It bares thought that for too many Jamaicans there is a disconnect between the Child Care & Protection Act and their reality in child rearing and the process of socialization. Under the Child Care and Protection Act (2004) Section 6 ii, an individual can be fined up to $500,000 or imprisonment not exceeding six months or both for failure to report child abuse. However, regardless of this many adults are complicit in acts of child abuse which allows the perpetrators to go unpunished while scaring the child permanently. Globally, children are protected by the Convention of the Rights of the Child. This Convention guarantees minimum standards for the protection of children against discrimination, protection and abuse. These rights can be broadly classified into three sections. These are; Provision Rights which include the right to receive or have access to a name, nationality, education, healthcare, rest, care and play for the disabled and orphan. Protection Rights; which outlines the right to be shielded from harmful acts and practices, for example, the right to be protection from commercial and sexual exploitation. Last but by no means least, the Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasizes Participation Rights, these include the child’s right to be heard, for example, freedom of speech and opinion. In spite of popular belief, to the contrary children do have rights and these rights must be enforced and protected.
The Way Forward
There is clearly a need for the society to revisit our parenting practices and skills in a society which is arguably a violent place to raise children. This mother clearly needs help not only in her questionable parenting skills set, but in practical terms of providing adequately for her children. The parish of St. Thomas is one of the poorest with little or no major economic activity. This adds a sense of hopelessness and invariably frustration which disturbingly, many parents act out on their children. The State agencies need to mobilize themselves, agencies such as the Child Development Agency (CDA) and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) urgently needs to so community development in and around the community to address among other issues the removal of zinc fence from where the individuals reside. The church also needs to do some more social outreach programme in communities such as Bath, in St. Thomas.
The National Parenting Support Commission also has a huge role to play, not only in this instance but in the wider society where bad parenting skills have not been exposed on social media but have become embedded and acceptable in many quarters.
Evidently we will be having this conversation for quite a while, let us not lose focus on the victim, she will clearly require long time counseling and psycho social support. A conscious and concerted effort must be made to break the culture and cycle of child abuse. The fact that the incident of the child’s abuse was captured on social media it is very likely that she will become a target for bullying in the future from her peers. As a result, guidance counsellors should be dispatch to her school immediately to sensitize the students about the negative effects of bullying, such as suicidal thoughts. Furthermore, the Education Act must be quickly revised to include a total ban on corporate punishment which is still being administered in some schools. Perhaps the way forward in this situation is not to imprison the mother. Maybe, this incident will be the one to awaken the society’s collective responsibility regarding child rearing which from all indications have gone dormant. We all need to examine ourselves.
“One knee does not bring up a child”- Tanzania Proverb
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
waykam@yahoo.com
@WayneCamo
#socialmedia #parenting #childabuse #poverty #education #family #culture #teenagepregnancy #bullying
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