Child Disciplinary Practices versus Child Rights in Zimbabwe: Viewed through Social Work Lenses

Although parents are a vital cog in instilling and maintaining child discipline, very little information exists about the methods they employ. Using a qualitative approach, this paper explored the methods used by parents in Zimbabwe—an African context—to discipline children, elucidating their imp...

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Main Authors: Simango, Tapiwa, Mafa, Itai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Lodz University 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11408/5079
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author Simango, Tapiwa
Mafa, Itai
author_facet Simango, Tapiwa
Mafa, Itai
author_sort Simango, Tapiwa
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description Although parents are a vital cog in instilling and maintaining child discipline, very little information exists about the methods they employ. Using a qualitative approach, this paper explored the methods used by parents in Zimbabwe—an African context—to discipline children, elucidating their implications on children’s rights. The findings show that parents in Zimbabwe use both violent and non-violent disciplinary methods such as verbal reprimand, beating, and spanking, which, at times, violates children’s rights in the process. The use of non-violent means has also depicted a vio- lation of children’s rights through deprivation of food, denial of playtime and shelter. Evident from the findings was, again, the existence of multiple-layered contestations on child discipline within the socio-cultural discourse—the most popularized being the debate on corporal punishment versus child rights violations. Through social work lenses, the paper provides a basis to dispel an anachro- nistic thought, which rationalizes the instrumentalization of punishment to achieve child discipline, underscoring the need for child rights-oriented discipline.
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spelling ir-11408-50792022-08-05T09:59:11Z Child Disciplinary Practices versus Child Rights in Zimbabwe: Viewed through Social Work Lenses Simango, Tapiwa Mafa, Itai Children’s Rights Disciplinary Methods Social Work Zimbabwe Although parents are a vital cog in instilling and maintaining child discipline, very little information exists about the methods they employ. Using a qualitative approach, this paper explored the methods used by parents in Zimbabwe—an African context—to discipline children, elucidating their implications on children’s rights. The findings show that parents in Zimbabwe use both violent and non-violent disciplinary methods such as verbal reprimand, beating, and spanking, which, at times, violates children’s rights in the process. The use of non-violent means has also depicted a vio- lation of children’s rights through deprivation of food, denial of playtime and shelter. Evident from the findings was, again, the existence of multiple-layered contestations on child discipline within the socio-cultural discourse—the most popularized being the debate on corporal punishment versus child rights violations. Through social work lenses, the paper provides a basis to dispel an anachro- nistic thought, which rationalizes the instrumentalization of punishment to achieve child discipline, underscoring the need for child rights-oriented discipline. 2022-08-05T09:59:11Z 2022-08-05T09:59:11Z 2022-01-31 Article Simango, Tapiwa and Itai Mafa. 2022. “Child Disciplinary Practices versus Child Rights in Zimbabwe: Viewed through Social Work Lenses.” Qualitative Sociology Review 18(1):114-131. Retrieved Month, Year (http://www.qualitativesociologyreview.org/ ENG/archive_eng.php). DOI: https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-8077.18.1.06 1733-8077 doi.org/10.18778/1733-8077.18.1.06 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/5079 en Qualitative Sociology Review;Vol. XVIII; Issue 1 open Lodz University
spellingShingle Children’s Rights
Disciplinary Methods
Social Work
Zimbabwe
Simango, Tapiwa
Mafa, Itai
Child Disciplinary Practices versus Child Rights in Zimbabwe: Viewed through Social Work Lenses
title Child Disciplinary Practices versus Child Rights in Zimbabwe: Viewed through Social Work Lenses
title_full Child Disciplinary Practices versus Child Rights in Zimbabwe: Viewed through Social Work Lenses
title_fullStr Child Disciplinary Practices versus Child Rights in Zimbabwe: Viewed through Social Work Lenses
title_full_unstemmed Child Disciplinary Practices versus Child Rights in Zimbabwe: Viewed through Social Work Lenses
title_short Child Disciplinary Practices versus Child Rights in Zimbabwe: Viewed through Social Work Lenses
title_sort child disciplinary practices versus child rights in zimbabwe: viewed through social work lenses
topic Children’s Rights
Disciplinary Methods
Social Work
Zimbabwe
url http://hdl.handle.net/11408/5079
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