We all want our children to do well academically. However, could some parents be expecting way too much from their children, when it comes to grades? In a video that will send shivers down your spine, a woman believed to be a ruthless mother is reportedly caught on tape beating the life out of her teenage daughter for poor academic performance.
Reportedly, a woman believed to be a mom beats kid with an iron rod. | Image: FeedyTV screengrab
Mom Beats Kid Mercilessly for Getting Bad Grades
As the video starts, the woman is seen holding a huge iron rod in her hand as she enters the room.
Next, she is seen mercilessly beating the girl (sitting on her bunk bed), on her body, and across the knees and legs.
She then pulls the terrified and whimpering child right off the bed and onto the floor, only to hit her harder.
The woman, believed to be the girl’s mother, reportedly beat the teenager because of her poor grades.
According to reports, the teacher informed the mother of her daughter’s grades, which left her disappointed and angry. In this fit of rage and to reportedly teach the girl a lesson, this woman took to violence.
Mom Beats Kid or Warden Beats Student? Which is it?
Although reports suggest that it was the mother who beat up her teenage daughter, there are theorists who believe that this video was shot in a hostel.
The teenager who gets beaten as well as the boy sitting on the opposite bed are seen wearing the same jackets. The abuser is also seen in the same colours.
Either way, this “mom beats kid” video has now gone viral and has united parents to condemn this as a horrible act of cruelty.
In case you missed the video, here’s a short snippet (courtesy FeedyTV).
Warning: Distressing content
Is Violence the Only Option to Discipline Your Child?
No! Absolutely not.
This “mom beats kid” video is just one of many such other shocking videos available online. Whoever it was that abused that young girl is immaterial: What is clear is that violence is not the way to discipline a child.
In fact, Michele Knox, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toledo, US, says, “…spanking is often the first step in the cycle of child abuse.”
He added that oftentimes parents are not “evil” and may have good intentions to discipline the child. But they often feel that they are being pushed to a breaking point. They may also be unaware of other ways of disciplining a child. But it invariably leads to development of negativity in your kid’s psychology.
And while corporal punishment may give immediate results to parents, it has long-term of the child’s mental health.
Corporal Punishment Affects Kids’ Mental Health
In fact in 2011, the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) noted that, “Corporal punishment (CP) is an important risk factor for children developing a pattern of impulsive and antisocial behaviour…[and] children who experience frequent CP… are more likely to engage in violent behaviours in adulthood.”
In addition to violence, corporal punishment also leads to the following in young impressionable kids:
- Antisocial behaviour
- Mental health problems
- Low self-esteem
- Negative parent-child relationships
- Impaired cognitive ability
- Externalising behaviour problems
- Internalising behaviour problems
- Low moral internalisation
And it is not just harsh corporal punishment that can cause all the aforementioned issues, but even a light spanking.
As Dr Catherine A Taylor (of Tulane University,US) and her colleagues concluded in a 2010 review, “Even minor forms of corporal punishment, such as spanking, increase risk for increased child aggressive behaviour.”
So if corporal punishment does more harm than good when it comes to correcting a child’s behaviour, how do you discipline your child?
How to Discipline Your Child Without Corporal Punishment
Through this process of discipline, make sure to prioritise a sense of social awareness and integrity and lead by example. | Image courtesy: stock image
As your children grow up, their desire for independence, expressing themselves and discover who they are become both natural and important. And this time, like everything else must be handled with care and love and not with corporal punishment.
To begin with, here are a few rules you put in place in order to set good discipline.
- Loss of privileges
- Loss of allowance
- Extra household chores
- An act of kindness for every act of unkindness
- Loss of items that are near and dear to them; iPad, computer, etc.
If your child refuses to follow these simple rules, remember the 5 C’s of discipline, as listed by psychologist Ben Martin.
1. Clarity
Be clear and specific about your rules, his limits, and your expectations. You can write them down somewhere your children can read them daily.
It’s also important to take the time to explain why you’ve set these specific rules. But also remember to give your children a break.
2. Consistency
As mentioned in our previous article, “Follow through on these clear rules, by consistently enforcing them. Make sure that consequences remain the same. However, it also helps to be flexible when it comes to enforcing the rules depending on your growing child’s needs.”
3. Communication
Make sure to keep the communication two-way. Involve your child in the rule-making process so that they know that the rules have been set fairly.
This can also help build their confidence and reassure them that you still love them dearly.
4. Caring
As stated before, “Make sure that, when you discipline a rebel child, they know you are criticising their behaviour alone. It is not a critique on who they are as a person. Their actions do not define them, but they do have to change.”
5. Creating a sense of social responsibility
Through this process of discipline, make sure to prioritise a sense of social awareness and integrity. You must always create an atmosphere of moral responsibility by leading with example.
Utilising most of these measures will not only instil the importance of discipline and rules within your children, but also help them feel secure and cared for.
Source: Raising Children Network, FeedyTV
Images courtesy: FeedyTV screengrabs/Stock images
Also read: Smart ways to discipline your child at every age
