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12 FEBRUARY 2010
NO 1541
Children's views on smacking
It hurts and it makes you cry.
All 10 children in this research study were able to articulate their description of what a smack was. In all cases the children were clear that a smack was a hard hit that hurts. For example:
A hard bang.
A hard whack [indicated on tabletop with hand making a loud noise]. It's
not nice.
It hurts and makes you cry. Yep it really hurts.
It's a hit.
The children also described that a smack was something that "hurt" both physically and emotionally. For example:
It makes you feel sad. It feels hurting.
It feels sad.
It stings when your parents smack you. It makes you cry.
Smacking makes you feel sad and grumpy.
Seven children mentioned being naughty as the main reason for being smacked. When asked further, "What kind of things do you have to do to be naughty?", the children described being aggressive or violent towards others as the main reason for being smacked. Two children mentioned being disobedient as a reason for being smacked. For example:
It happens when you are naughty.
Being really naughty.
Hit people.
When you smack someone in the face.
For biting.
Pushing people on the floor.
Kick someone.
Doing something mum doesn't want you to do.
Don't listen.
It is noticeable that the primary reason this group of children gave for getting smacked was because they have hurt others. The message these children may be receiving is that it is acceptable for a bigger person to hurt a smaller person. None of the children described any other forms of discipline they received for hurting others. However, this may have been because the conversation was centred on smacking and the children may not have felt they had the opportunity to discuss other alternatives.
The children in this study also articulated how it felt emotionally, just as readily as describing the physical sensation, to be smacked. Together, all 10 children described a range of feelings that occur after being smacked. The dominate feeling described by the children was one of sadness. Three children described being scared and fearful of being hit again. For example:
It feels sad.
Yeah you get angry.
It stings when your parents smack you.
They [children] act sadly.
They [children] still feel scared about being hit again, 'cause it's
sore.
And feels scared.
Um, sad and they [children] go to their room.
Um, you try and being good.
Only one child talked about changing her behaviour after being smacked by trying to be good. However, the same child described getting smacked even when trying to be good: "Sometimes you still get a smack when you being good".
The children connected their smacking to the presence of anger in the adult/s. When asked "How come the adults were angry?" the children described that the adults were angry at the children themselves, rather than necessarily being angry at the behaviour that perpetuated the smacking. Children said:
They feel really angry with you.
Plain angry.
They are angry with the children, 'cause they [children] don't listen.
One child indicated that adults may feel sorry for smacking children: "They feel sorry". The views of these children on smacking indicated that it had a negative effect on their behaviour; it hurt physically and emotionally, and harmed their relationship with the person who smacked them.
TERRY DOBBS AND JUDITH DUNCAN
Dobbs, T. and Duncan, J. (2004). Children's perspectives on physical discipline: A New Zealand example. Child Care in Practice, 10, 4. pp. 371-373.
