NEW DELHI, INDIA, September 29, 2002: Beating up children has traditionally been seen as a parental right in India. Even today, dad beats up mom, mom beats up child and child beats up the teddy bear. But experts say it is NOT OK to beat up children. Why do parents use physical means and why is it counter-productive? Parents beat up children to discipline and teach them lessons. But according to Vatsala Sivasubramanian, a counselor with Mira Nursery School, “Learning never takes place in a situation of fear.” Story-telling and increasing communication work much better. Parents spank children to give vent to their own frustration, anger and tiredness. Says Rajat Mitra, a clinical psychologist: “Deal with your own anger.” Working with hardened criminals, Mitra has found most of them have witnessed or faced severe violence as children. Experts say, it’s best to talk to children more and use story telling as a method of teaching. Also, forming support groups with other parents may help to reduce stress and find solutions to parenting challenges.
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