South_Africa_Punishment

CJC-141 Writing Assignment #1 John Hinson 26 May 2011 South African Corporal Punishment and the Similarity in the US Corporal punishment has come under fire in South Africa just as it has in the United States. People are having personal conflict with physical abuse within corporal punishment and desire more prison sentences. Corporal punishments are very similar in the two countries when it applies to children. There is a great deal of importance placed on the value of children and the need to protect them as well as methods of application are alike as well. African considers children to be the most precious gift of matrimony. (Kandeh, 2008) Children are thought to be the future. Parents in Africa are judged by the actions of their children. Mothers are blessed and fathers are praised as well. Children, when acting badly, are to be punished by their parents. This is normally done by the process of battering. (Kandeh, 2008) Battering would be similar to battery in the US. It is the mildest form of punishment that is used. For example, if you were acting up and your mother grabbed you by the arm and made you stop, then you would have been punished but with the least amount of pain. Punishment in Africa is often inflicted without formal trials and often looks for non statutory offenses or other offenses deemed morally justifiable cases for punishment. (Kandeh, 2008) The other methods of punishment are caning and whipping the cat-o’-nine-tails. (Investigator) Whipping has been used all through the ages of punishment. Early America times, especially in the west, were infamous for whipping. Slaves in American history have been known to be “whipped.” Caning was used mainly on juveniles, usually implemented to the court precincts or a nearby police station. (Investigator) This was a method the African government may have used to try to deter juvenile delinquency. The African government did put some stipulations in place to protect juveniles as well. Examples of some of these stipulations are the area you can hit a youth is limited and the number of times you could hit a juvenile. (Investigator) Here in the US, the government has made near to impossible to “whip” a child . the schools and society itself has said it is wrong to “whip” someone but yet want to blame every parent who corrects their own child. We had the “boot camps,” but society has said it is too harsh on their mental states. Then we have therapy, which is costly and most people won’t complete. If you “whip” a youth now, you should do so in the privacy in your own home and leave no marks. Although the two countries are miles apart, we share a common belief that children are important and should be protected. We also share the idea; children should be punished when needed. Both countries have taken steps to abolish punishment that is considered cruel and torturous. Corporal punishment is needed in some cases but needs to be used moderately and not abused. The abuse is the one ingredient needed for the stricter guideline. Investigator. (n.d.) World Corporal Punishment Research. Retrieved May 25, 2011, from www.corpun.com: http://www.corpun.com/jcza1.htm Kandeh, M. (2008, June 19). Sierra Leone: Should Corporal Punishment Be Maintained' Retrieved May 25, 2011, from all Africa.com: http://www.allafrica.com/stories/200806190637.htm