Punishing kids

[darkme]

Yesterday I watched a very disturbing news on TV. It happened in Egypt.
A boy was locked in a fridge to punish him. His boss locked him there to teach him a lesson because apparentely the boy wasn't doing his job right.
The frige was moved to the port and the boss forgot that he locked the boy in there. 10 days later they found the boy in a very fragile shape. He was struggling to live.

What kind of punishment is that? I understand sometimes kids have to be taught some things and punishment have to take place. But how can such a person do that to a little child?? How much is too much for punishment? Who is allowed to punish a child? His parents? His teachers? His boss??
It really made me upset and I just thought I'd share this news with you.

[waed89]

The first thing that caught my attention that the kid has a boss in the first place ... this is called child labor and it is as bad a crime as punishing the kid is! but in Egypt ... well , it happens alotttt!!!

As to who is entitled to punish a kid... well his parents for sure but a teacher's only role is to teach the kid! If a teacher wanted to punish a kid , there are certain laws regarding this issue in each country so it is not entirely to the teacher which is better!!!!
* considering the things , the horrible things, we do to them they might just kill us sum day *
As to parents punishing kids... well , the punishment shud match the wrong doing.....
My brother the other day did something more than horrible and he was shaking of fear thinking my parents were going to punish him but then he was only forbidden from going out! He was so shocked but my dad's looks at him are punishment enough!
Well.... hmmmmm.... I think that punishment in the family depends on the family itself and in the school as I said it depends on the laws of the country however in work , if kids were allowed to work in the first place, punishment falls only in being fired or cutting of some work hours from the salary and never physical punishment!!
Locking the kid up in the fridge is both illegal and inhumane !!!

[Takako]

That's awful :S

I think the punishment should start talking. I mean, we should try to tell the child how is the right way to act (at least for us). Because if we do something like... lock him a fridge, how could he "learn"? I mean, sometimes that kind of punishment doesn't have a reason, or the boy that is punished doesn't even know it.

I think the parents are allowed to punish the kid. Also the teachers, but everyone of them according to some laws - and common sense! :/

[alyssamilanofan]

yeah I agree that's not teaching the kid the right lesson, it's cruel and inhumane!
It's illegal for two reasons, a boss is not allowed to use violence against one of his employee's (verbally or physically) and second it's a kid! Which makes it child labour as Wead said earlier..
This is horrible..
Bosses (if the kid is 16 or older *Dutch law* and they work a certain amount of hours a week like 20 or something don't know for sure, they're allowed to work for a little more pocketmoney) and teachers can only punish them in a verbally correct way, telling them what they did wrong and the teacher can give you an assignment like an extra paper about what you did wrong or something and the boss can give you a warning and after repeat fire you.
Parents (depends on the law, in the Netherlands no form of slapping is allowed, whether hard or not it's not allowed) in my opinion hitting a child doesn't work especially if you see what it does psychological, what it does (unconsiously) in their head.. If you look at it, it's the parent taking adventage of his power position over the child..
What the actions of parents do is give kids an example how to handle (stressful) situations and a lot of kids take that up which is creating problems, also the child will feel insuperior and low.. It's embarrasing being overpowered (again unconsiously) by another human being doesn't matter if they're parents.. Hitting a kid is just learning them the wrong thing, it's bad for the self-esteem (especially when accompanied by yelling and name calling) and it doesn't solve anything tell them what's wrong and make up a (violent free) punishment showing them WHY their behaviour is wrong and how they can do better that's what helps..
BUT it's easier said than done and this is just my humble opinion.. Parenting is the most difficult and in the same time most important job in the world.. Respect to all the parents who try to make it work.. and especially to those who succeed..

[llVoXll]

wow :/ i'm amazed on how he survived 10 days freezed there without eating and drinking

I'm a strong defender of retribution but i dun think the child could have done something that is worth being locked up in the fridge :S i mean he's just a kid and no matter what cruelty he did, he is still learning so one should search a punishment the children obviously would not like and suffer but not one that involves heavy psychological distress and considerable physical damage

Edit: confused Retalliation with Retribution

[harisstavr]

Awful! That's not a punishment it's cruelty! You can punish a child for example by not going out with friends for a couple of days because he/she didn't study, but you can't use cruelty to punish a child!!!!!

[chukwudiobi]

This issue is not just in Egypt. In fact in lagos, Nigeria, a man locked up a boy in a small room for six months! when we got hold of the story, we published in our newspaper and called inthe police. The man has been charged to court.
I thinkit is here we need to do more job. Many people think that youths do not know much about what is happening but it is untill we start proving this people wrong the society will not make headway. Imagin a boy of 11 being made to ingest wraps of cocaine. We should start making some noise about all these things. We should form pressure groups that would rally behind any victim because no one knows whose turn it will be tomorrow.