Over the last week, local social media pages have been filled with reactions to a video, reportedly of a father physically abusing his adult daughter, that has gone viral.
The video clip shows a man backing the camera, wearing a t-shirt and shorts with a firearm tucked in his waist; the location is a clothing store. Seconds later, he erupts into action, violently attacking a young woman, who had been sitting in front of him, toppling her off a stool; both his hands and feet are involved. A second man appears and holds him off, but he still manages to land another kick on the young woman who is on the ground by this time. The camera also captures another woman, who had paused her janitorial tasks to watch the event, recommencing them.
The young woman emerges from the corner where she had fallen and the man slaps his hand on the stool, clearly indicating that she should sit there. A few other people enter the frame; one of them gesticulates toward the young woman. The man, who appears agitated, grabs a belt from a display and loops it in half. The second man seems to be purposefully blocking his access to the young woman as the clip ends. There was no audio.
According to reports, the father who allegedly physically abused his adult daughter has since been charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm and threatening language and has been released on bail.
What the video shows is a straightforward act of obscene cruelty that has no place in any society. Yet, on the social media pages where it has been shared, there are comments which seem to indicate that perhaps the man’s actions were justified or could be; or perhaps he should have had battered the young woman less. One only hopes that these were deliberately planted and not the true thoughts of any observer. On the other hand, there is the fact that we live in a society where a lot of lip service is paid to curbing the abuse of women, protecting women’s rights and affording them equal opportunities.
Moreover, for the most part, the abuse meted out to women is usually labelled domestic violence, given that their abusers tend to be their intimate partners. Child abuse is another factor altogether. Typically, Guyanese abhor child sexual abuse. They might even get riled up at neglect, especially in cases where it makes children vulnerable or places their health or well-being in danger. Physical abuse though, somehow falls into a grey area because it is culturally acceptable. It should not be.
The fact is that hitting or spanking children is wrong. There are no ifs and buts where this is concerned or justifiable measurements as to how many lashes, where they are placed or how hard they are. In some cases, the mere act of raising a hand to a child can cause emotional trauma that rebounds in negative behaviour later on. Furthermore, numerous studies have shown that inflicting pain on children by way of spanking or hitting as a means of punishment, apart from the danger of causing physical injury and leaving scars, can lead to aggression, antisocial behaviour, and mental health problems that they live with forever, for the most part. Very often, they do the same thing to their children and the pattern repeats itself.
We live in a society where violence against children is not only accepted, but endorsed at every level. Children are considered their parents’ property; therefore they can punish them as they see fit. In the education system, physical interventions by school staff are allowed once they are deemed “appropriate and reasonable”, according to the Ministry of Education. A Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher, or designated Senior Master/Mistress can administer corporal punishment in circumstances such as fighting, use of indecent language, gross insubordination, continued display of unacceptable behaviours or in grave circumstances.
This remains the case despite the fact that Guyana is among the countries that have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which in 2006 called physical punishment “legalised violence against children” that should be eliminated in all settings through “legislative, administrative, social and educational measures.” In the 16 years since then, no government or minister has had the intestinal fortitude or political will to come out on the side of children and just end corporal punishment in schools. Instead, government put the issue in the hands of committees made up of people who, in spite of the burgeoning evidence, fail to see the harm being done.
Norman Whittaker, a former minister in a previous PPP/C government wrote a 1,500+ word treatise on why the whipping of schoolchildren should be phased out rather than just removed, which was published by this newspaper. In it, he said, among other things: “I do believe however that if corporal punishment increased the propensity to violence among students, some of us would be serial killers today”, without producing any evidence to the contrary. His letter went on to say, “The Guyanese culture has embraced the practice of corporal punishment for decades. Indeed, it has become an integral aspect of our upbringing and many students of yesteryear have actually attributed their success in large measure to the application of corporal punishment as a form of discipline…”
That was in 2017 and it seems that the subject has been placed on the backburner in the hope that it might be forgotten altogether. One wonders at the hesitancy of our politicians. It cannot be that they fear they will lose votes, because they are well aware that elections in Guyana are not won based on policies. Perhaps, it is because deep down, notwithstanding the masks they wear at international fora, they actually support or see nothing wrong with legalised violence against children.
Knowing all this, can we really be shocked at the unending cycle of violence? Is it any wonder then that men still believe they have a right to beat their partners and children or otherwise abuse them to keep them subservient? This is a deep-rooted problem which our leaders have been approaching with nail scissors. We have all seen over the years how well that has been working. That being said, none of this implies that any person who physically attacks another should not face the full force of the law. That is a given. However, if we desire true change, it is time to stop reacting after the damage has been inflicted.
