Juan Ameen
Smacking 'violates children's rights'
'Positive parenting must be taught'
Any provisions in the Maltese statute book that allowed corporal punishment and that could endorse child abuse had to be removed in order to come in line with international law, according to a British expert.
Since Maltese legislation allows "reasonable chastisement" to take place in the home, there was no clear demarcation line between physical abuse and merely restraining the child, said Cailin Mackenzie, a lawyer who specialises in children's rights.
The law thus provided a form of defence for parents and children could, therefore, be abused, even through smacking, with the state's support, she argued.
"It is ironic that a child is fairly defenceless while women are protected by Maltese law."
Due to the existence of the "reasonable chastisement" clause, Malta was definitely in breach of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the European Social Charter, Dr Mackenzie said.
The island was also possibly in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights regarding the prohibition of torture, cruelty and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Dr Mackenzie was a guest speaker at a seminar on the subject organised by the Maltese Association of Social Workers.
The mental shift not to hit children was difficult to achieve because many adults were smacked themselves when they were young. "They argue that it didn't affect them negatively and so see nothing wrong in smacking their children."
In Europe, there is a growing movement pushing for a ban in all countries. Nineteen European states have legally barred physical punishment in the home and another four are committed to doing so. Malta is one of the remaining four that has not taken any such steps.
Dr Mackenzie said research showed that any form of corporal punishment could lead to increased aggression, mental health problems and anti-social behaviour. Plus, the more frequently parents used physical punishment, the more disobedient, aggressive and defiant the child could become.
Smacking or hitting children when they were naughty did not pass on the message that they were doing something wrong; it only harmed the relationship between the parent and the child, Dr Mackenzie insisted. And it could eventually lead to more serious forms of physical abuse, such as domestic violence. "All forms of physical abuse starts from physical punishment," she said.
Even though most people remember being smacked when they were young, society and values had changed.
If a legal ban were to be implemented eventually, parents had to be provided with support and reassured they were not going to be prosecuted for minor infractions.
She suggested that Malta could simply remove the clause of reasonable chastisement from the Criminal Code.
Dr Mackenzie was at pains to point out that all this did not mean that parents who smacked were bad parents but a clear message had to be sent out that it should not be done.
A change in law had to be done carefully, with the government launching a campaign explaining the reasoning behind it while providing positive parental guidance skills. "Parents must not be made to feel they're bad parents. Positive parenting must be taught or they will be left in a vacuum."
The call for a ban on smacking was echoed during the seminar by the Commissioner for Children, Carmen Zammit who said she would like to see the abolition of all forms of physical punishment of children.
Read more in Child magazine issued with The Times today.
72 Comments
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Joe Fenech
Nov 16th 2009, 08:18
Mr Sammut , I don't know if you live in the Uk, but I can assure you that her views reflect the philosophy instigated by new Labour (transformed under Tony Blair) which however does not mean she is officially representing the UK government!
Raymond Sammut
Nov 15th 2009, 18:35
@ Joe Fenech
Cailin Mackenzie is not representing the UK. What you have said applies to the Home Secretary, and currently the incumbent is Alan Johnson. Ms Mackenzie is a private person who is in Malta on invitation and has nothing to do with what you have said.
Joe Fenech
Nov 15th 2009, 17:17
These experts are all people who thrive in the Blair's Labour era: the era that has destroyed the UK, where discipline went out of the window, education has been watered down, populism exploded, useless make-belief programmes were put into action, police violate the honest citizens' rights and punish them to bring the statistics up while criminality continues to thrive and expand, people have made millions out of dodgy businesses and services, banks ruined the UK...
When is our government going to learn to look at Europe and not the UK which is the USA's 53rd state (ie after Israel). By copying the UK we are copying the USA and that's really catastrophic!
Joe Fenech
Nov 15th 2009, 16:44
The UK even awards kids who behave badly thinking that's an incentive to make the change. On top, British kids think you need to reward them just because they do their homework (at the minimum acceptable standard), they pick something up for an adult, they say thank you...!!!!
May we stay away from British systems !!!
Joe Fenech
Nov 15th 2009, 16:36
Mr Oatmon, well done - you obviously know what you're talking about !
Joe Fenech
Nov 15th 2009, 16:33
A British expert!!!!!! Considering that the Brits have the highest number of youth and social problems (teenage pregnancy, alcohol, violence, youth killings, drugs , knife crimes, etc) in Europe and amongst the highest in the world, what credibility does an English so called expert have?
And she should also be aware that mild chastisement is LEGAL in the UK !
Raymond Sammut
Nov 15th 2009, 08:48
I think there is an undue reaction here to the call for the abolishment of the "reasonable chastisement" clause. Zero tolerance is the way to go, especially now in modern times.
The reason why it has become harder for children to control appears to be because expertise on child psychology and behaviour has not been keeping up with the rapid changes in modern societies. Smacking a child twenty or thirty years ago may have had a positive effect; but this is not necessarily the case now. There are a number of factors that have been found (from social scientific studies) to affect child behaviour. Examples are diet and exposure to increased information.
It is necessary for the Maltese government to line up with the requirements of the UNCRC and of the ECHR. At the same time, however, it also needs to invest in expertise on child behaviour and the special needs of the child in a rapidly changing modern society. Malta is struggling in this area, and Malta is not the only country which is struggling.
Miriam Cassar
Nov 15th 2009, 07:41
From these bloggers, one can see the mentality still prevailing re. childrens rights in Malta. It is no wonder that there being no PARENTS lobby group to work for childrens' rights, our laws in this regard are so outdated. One important issue is the DEFINITION of child in our legislature- "child" means any person who has not attained majority"
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Our mentality still dictates that only the Church or the government KNOW what is RIGHT for our children. Thank YOU Ms. Mackenzie
J Oatmon
Nov 15th 2009, 07:37
The 'out of control kids behaviour' situation in the UK (and elsewhere) is not something for Malta copy, under any circumstances. Looking at news items regarding 'problem kids' on TV and the knifings and shootings by kids - it is obvious this 'softly softly' approach is a complete failure.
For example - an old woman cannot strike (or get police action) for a gang of kids tearing up her garden or swearing at her on a daily basis, or harrasing her, dumping trash out all over the place etc - no thanks, we need some discipline an fear of consequences, not immunity from the consequences.
John Abela
Nov 15th 2009, 06:33
My story is different from yours people...maybe a little smack is acceptable yes..but a bad beating is another thing...it will lead you to hate your parents..my father in my case...and hate life...almost commited suicide once when I was only 13 yrs old maybe out of sheer desperation...then once you grow up and have the liberty you will rebel and do anything that hurts them drugs ...etc, out of spite becuase you dont care about yourself anymore.. your only care is to hurt them back...I can still remember having to stay indoors and study during the week while other children played...yes I did better than them in school...but what's the point of being smart yet unhappy. Up till this day I can never forget the beatings I used to get simply becuase I got a wrong answer. So please people...see both sides of the coin...there is rampant child abuse in Malta. We all know how parents in Malta pressure kids to be better than her neighbours and try to force the child to achieve what he/she did not manage to achieve.
malcolm seychell
Nov 15th 2009, 00:05
Maybe Dr Mackenzie can have a look at this
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/2403891/Knife-crime-Violent-teenagers-families-face-eviction.html
http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=71746
This is the culture of death people like you are working for in the UK and europe.
Your country will be a 3 world country when it comes to security in the next couple of decades.
Any country moves forward when there is discipline.
Look at the progress in China and look at the state of europe now compared to some years ago when we still had some discipline.
C. Farrell
Nov 14th 2009, 23:51
This is all nonsense. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child does not mention corporal punishment anywhere. Take no notice of so-called "experts" who are trying to deceive the public about what international law says. (And incidentally it is absolutely nothing to do with the EU.)
edward bartolo
Nov 14th 2009, 23:10
Quote: "We parents have the right to bring up and discipline our children."
That is not a right. It is a DUTY.
MBorg
Nov 14th 2009, 21:59
@ M Bagley
The point is that we Maltese parents read the" WHOLE text with our MIND"
Last August at the Co-op in Southampton a mother was overheard threatening her children a boy of 11 and a girl of 4 that she would smack them unless they behaved. They calmed down and that was it. However she was overheard and followed home.
Six weeks later two police officers questioned her in her own home . Her local council sent a letter to tell her that the report will be kept on record for the next 14 years.
The 34 year old mother said. " If no one stands up to this oppression , this political correctness, parents will lose responsibility for threir kids and the state will take over "
That is what we Maltese parents are doing ,standing up for our rights. We do not need any English experts to tell us how to bring up our children. We are no talking about violence here , but a smack at the right time never did any harm.
It is not only children who have rights. We parents have the right to bring up and discipline our children.
Nigel Claridge
Nov 14th 2009, 21:14
I am ashamed you have had to put up with these comments from the so called expert.We are about fed up with this in the U.K. Children over here run riot knowing there will be little or no punishment.I agree with some of your commentators that the odd smack never did any harm.When I was young and the police in England had more sense you got a smack from the police man for causing trouble or stealing apples and if you went home and complained you got another smack from your Dad.I never knew wether it was because you had been bad or you let the "copper" catch you!Never did us any harm and Ive said it before you people ,bless you,should never have joined the EU.Neither should we have done.
malcolm seychell
Nov 14th 2009, 19:58
Go back home Thank you.
We have nothing to learn from the UK today.
Children in the UK are the most violent and with the most problems in Europe thanks to your human rights which you desperately apply to get thousands of tax payers money into doo gooders pockets.
M Bagley
Nov 14th 2009, 19:58
@ MBORG
I am not defending anyone here. When reading something like this, I try to be as unbiased as much I can. I am a parent too, and Maltese to boot, but I can suspend my own opinions to look for something beyond my own value system. Read the WHOLE text and READ WITH YOUR MIND. Many seem to have got lost in the first couple of paragraphs and that was it. Have a look at the ORIGINAL article and read between the lines. Shooting off our mouths won't get us anywhere!
Muscat D
Nov 14th 2009, 19:46
@ J Lauri
"Read my quote : and yet the juvenile crime rates here are much lower than in Malta, per capita !!!"
The age of criminal responsibility in Sweden is 15 years. Juvenile crimes below that age are not included. Children below that age are referred to social services. Could this be the reason why the % of juveniles per capita is so low. Include the cases referred to social services if you want the real picture.
Danny Apap
Nov 14th 2009, 19:41
This is why we have the knife culture in the UK and the hooligans in our young generation! We have so many Experts like Cailin Mackenzie. Discipline never done us bad when I was growing up!
Can you keep her?
C Farrugia
Nov 14th 2009, 19:34
Dr Mackenzie is criticizing Maltese law that allows chastisement of children and now I hope she criticizes British laws that allows the murder of unborn children.
MBorg
Nov 14th 2009, 19:28
@M.Bagley
I take it that in your haste to defend Dr Mackenzie you did not read all the comments.
MBorg
Nov 14th 2009, 19:15
@ Dr John Damai
Well said . A setiment that is shared by many Maltese parents.
MBorg
Nov 14th 2009, 19:10
@John Lauri
Just calm down and let me explain. I have never lived in Sweden but I do have Swedish friends. Parents in Sweden do not only refrain from smacking their children they do not even discipline their offsprings. They have a free mentality. When children grow up they have nobody to look up to. Their parents grew up in the same enviornment they are afraid to offer advice.
Oranges/Apples produce lonley people. Much better a smack given with love than all the oranges/apples.
M Bagley
Nov 14th 2009, 19:10
If you read the article properly, you will see that the British expert was INVITED to speak as a GUEST SPEAKER by the MALTESE Association of Social Workers. They invited her for a purpose - they probably see much more than wecan ever imagine. And stop attacking her please - did you not read that the Commisioner for Children is against all forms of smacking, and she is MALTESE. Yet, NOBODY said anything there. Very interesting, and highly revealing.
Mela tajjeb. So it is fine to attack the foreign guest speaker. But keep in mind that the Maltese seminar organisers had invited her on this very issue, and she accepted the invitation. She did not barge in and take over to dictate to us Maltese how to raise our children. The association invited her for this very purpose.
Now imagine this - what if this article had been an experiment about people's perceptions about foreigners? What if the expert had been Maltese but given a foreign name and foreign credentials to elicit reactions? I bet people here posting comments would have given social psychologists a field day!
John Lauri
Nov 14th 2009, 18:30
@ Dr John Damai
You have a right to disagree with Cailin Mackenzie, but not attack her in the way you did ! Rudeness is inexcusable !
John Lauri
Nov 14th 2009, 18:25
@ Anthony Formosa.
The Times article is titled ""Smacking 'violates children's rights'"" and NOT Abortion violates children's rights. Therefore let us not stray from the topic in question, shall we ?
John Lauri
Nov 14th 2009, 18:21
@ Anthony Formosa.
If you read the article once again, you will find that the article is on the smacking of children as a form of punishment and NOT about universal children rights in general. That is a completely separate issue and one to be discussed in another forum.
But once again, you fail to see the clarity on this. And once again I say, I do NOT see the relevance of abortion, with the topic in hand.. i.e. should adults be allowed to smach children !
I have no choice but to repeat myself to you : Oranges / apples......
Dr John Damai
Nov 14th 2009, 17:58
Miss Cailin Mackenzie, take your secular progressive ways and your 15 minutes of fame elsewhere. Your country is not even close to being an example of discipline. How dare you even have the verve to comment on how we bring up our children.
Anthony Formosa
Nov 14th 2009, 17:52
@ John Lauri
Your quote:Care to explain what has the smacking topic got to do with abortion ? Two entirely different subjects.... and one is certainly NOT linked to the other.
Are we discussing children's RIGHTS, therefore do unborn children have RIGHTS? Parents has no right to smack but they have right to abort. Very simple Mr Lauri
John Lauri
Nov 14th 2009, 17:50
@ MBorg
A piece of news in today's Times, for your interest MBorg :
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091114/local/17-year-old-accused-of-prostituting-minors
Another case of Maltese youth, being holier than thou, MBorg ? Seems like this 17 year old's mother, obviously did not smack her son enough. Perhaps a bit more smacking would have dscouraged him from prostituting minors, don't you think ? Seems like Vittoriosa is severely lacking a spanking scene.
John Richards
Nov 14th 2009, 17:05
I'm sorry. I'm 41 and had the occassional slap for being naughty, like most children of that era (the 70's and 80's). I see nothing wrong with it when it is used as a 'LAST RESORT', as i sometimes do with my children. What are the social consequences of not disiplining children? I live in the UK and these so called 'child's right experts' have produced a country where some children (though not all i have to say) have no respect, think they can do anything they want, and when you confront them they give you a torrent of abuse. That can only be down to 1 thing; THE PARENTS. In my book 'reasonable chastisement' is NOT a problem. Child abuse on the other hand is a CRIME. Stick to your guns Malta on this one and continue to allow parents to disipline their children in a reasonable fashion.
May Cassar
Nov 14th 2009, 17:00
I am the proud parent of two children who are now adults and parents themselves. There was a time when my kids where young and where punished, perhaps some times a slight slap was deemed fit at the time, Their friends used to say that I was too strict. As they all turned into young adults they all went their own way, unfortuantely those friends who thought I was too strict got into lots of trouble, my kids did not. Now that my kids are parents themselves it is a satifaction to hear them say they want to be brought up the same way they where, respect and obiedience being the rule not the exception.
John Lauri
Nov 14th 2009, 16:46
@ MBorg.
Your quote : Swedish parents give their offsprings a very loose rein. The love and discipline we give our children in Malta would seem chocking in Sweden.
And yet, I see more frustrated, bored, troubled kids in Malta, then I do in Sweden. Could it be because Maltese parents by nature suppress the kids right to express themselves,freely, to develop themselves within their own parameters ? Simply because Maltese parents are obsessed with their kids being their "tunnel visioned" version of the " perfect child" ? For what ? At the end of the day, Maltese kids are no better than their european conterparts ! So let kids be kids, their time as kids is too short, and certainly smacking them for doing soemthing wrong, does not promote their development. It only teaches them violence, pain and humiliation from a very young age. Get it ???
John Lauri
Nov 14th 2009, 16:37
@ Anthony Formosa.
Your quote : The irony is that from where Dr Mackenzie comes from, smacking is prohibited but abortion is not.
Care to explain what has the smacking topic got to do with abortion ? Two entirely different subjects.... and one is certainly NOT linked to the other.
John Lauri
Nov 14th 2009, 16:33
@ MBorg
What does smacking children or not, got to do with suicide rates ???? What an incoherent statement to make MBorg.
I guess you have never lived in Sweden to understand the culture and mentality. Until the day you come over and spend some years here, then please refrain from accusing the Swedes of commiting suicide because the kids are feeling alone, for suicide has nothing to do with that and neither has it got to do witht he fact that smacking here is illegal.
TALK ABOUT COMPARING ORANGES WITH APPLES !
Sorry mate, but your argument is a touch weak and totally incorrect !
Paul Vella
Nov 14th 2009, 16:27
I can't for the life of me understand why we are allowing these type of so called professionals to come here and speak their mind out, interfering in our lives and traditions. Is this what Europe stands for? It would have been better if this lawyer here started a campaign with the aim that children all over the workd would have enough to eat, enough medical care and education. What did she come here for, for God's sake?!!
John Lauri
Nov 14th 2009, 16:27
@ C Cassar.
Read my quote : and yet the juvenile crime rates here are much lower than in Malta, per capita !!!
Which part of JUVENILE did you not undestand ?
N.Lawrence
Nov 14th 2009, 16:17
What was this EXPERT'S input into the behavioural problems in the UK? If the results are anything to go by- a total failure.
C Cassar
Nov 14th 2009, 15:50
@John Lauri: Well, clearly you either made up the statement or you really don't know what you'r etalking about. When you post so called "facts" back them up at least with links.
Sweden's crime rate is higher than that of Malta per capita, so it doesn't say anything very favourable about the way kids are brought up in Sweden.
Here are my links, where are yours?
Sweden: Total crime victims 24.7% [5th of 20]
http://www.nationmaster.com/country/sw-sweden/cri-crime
Malta: Total crime victims 23.1% [9th of 20]
http://www.nationmaster.com/country/mt-malta/cri-crime
so, better of with a few smacks then!
Fred Von Verra
Nov 14th 2009, 15:38
What a load of baloney--I'm dead set against child abuse and little smack will send a message to the child that whatever he or she is doing is wrong and "Spare the rod and spoil the child". No wonder most of today's kids are so irresponsible.
Joe Tabone-Adami
Nov 14th 2009, 15:28
"Spare the rod - and spoil the child". I wonder who was the 'inexpert' who said that!!!
Anthony Formosa
Nov 14th 2009, 15:28
Another foreign expert same as all others who dictate us what to do. The irony is that from where Dr Mackenzie comes from, smacking is prohibited but abortion is not. Strange isn't it?
MG Camilleri
Nov 14th 2009, 15:23
I am 35 years old and i grew up with a smack if i misbehaved. I thank my parents for it because that is what kept me away from drugs, the fear of my parents. All my friends did drugs infront of me and i never did (the fear of the smack) I am a mother of 2 now and i use the same method cause i beleive it works and it s already showing me results. I am speaking through experience and no research or book manual.
MBorg
Nov 14th 2009, 14:42
@ John Lauri
"Smacking and any form ot corporal punishment of children is illegal here in Sweden ".
You are right in Sweden children have their "rights" ,. They are treated like grownups from a very early age. Parents do not interfere and children grow up independent. Swedish parents give their offsprings a very loose rein. The love and discipline we give our children in Malta would seem chocking in Sweden. Over there children feel alone, could that be the reason for the large number of suicides they have ?
As for listening " to experts oponion wherever they come from " . This expert happens to come form England , and if her home country is following her "Opinion ", I must say the result is not something that should be followed.
Jos Vella
Nov 14th 2009, 14:22
This is why the UK there are baby gangs, knife crimes amongst youngsters, vandalism (this week a bunch of kids in the UK punctured the tyres of an Ambulance that was going to take a girl to hospital; another ambulance was called to the same casualty and the second ambulance was attacked as well..at the end the police were called). this is just one case of about five that happen every day in the UK.
I was raised in a disciplined environment and I used to get hit with a ruler when I disobeyed; until today I cannot see any harm. If I let my kids do whatever they want because I cannot 'Smack' then don't blame me if one day the grown up kids end up doing a serious offence! This is a sick society where it is not the parent who does what is best for the child but it is the society which dictates how to raise a child. This is DICTATORSHIP!! and nothing else.
C.A.Magdi
Nov 14th 2009, 14:19
I am a mother of a 3 yr old girl, and I am against hitting children but sometimes I have to turn to a small smack for obedience from her part. If I tell her not to touch the cleaning floor cloth and she does, I tell her not to do it again or else she will get a small smack on her hand. Most of the times she won't touch it agian. I have to reason with my daughter alot, give her reasons for her not to do a bad thing. I try to avoid smacking as much as possible, I only give her a small smack when I keep on telling her not to do something and she does it or answers back at me rudly. It is a way for her to know that for a bad action there is a consiquence. Children now a days are much more like little adults, they answer back and try to over power their parents. They are the grown-ups of the next generation, if they aren't disciplined what is the world going to turn to? We already can see the effects now-a-days imagine later on.
Joseph Schembri
Nov 14th 2009, 13:52
Woman stop trying to justify your salary. We need to teach children obligations and not so called 'rights'.
There are many questions one could ask this woman - the first that springs to mind is why isn't she in her country campaigning for the rights of unborn children to LIVE? How dare she criticise me for slapping my son when he does something wrong if she does not object to women killing babies in their wombs.
h galea
Nov 14th 2009, 13:49
Thank you Dr Macenzie for the bright IDEA it's the only and easy way to get rid of our children when we can not keep them any longer. Does that apply to my husband, they give me too much work.
John Lauri
Nov 14th 2009, 13:42
I agree with Cailin Mackenzie. A very valid argument if I ever read one !
Smacking & any form of corporal punishment of children is illegal here in Sweden... and yet the juvenile crime rates here are much lower than in Malta, per capita !!!
The concept of disciplining children here is NOT based on the physical punishment / hurting / humiliation of a child, but of taking away certain priviliges, grounding and positiive correction / education / thought. AND IT SEEMS TO WORK VERY WELL !
ONE DOES NOT HAVE TO HIT A CHILD HOWEVER MILDLY TO INSTILL DISCIPLINE !
As usual, just because Cailin Mackenzie is a foreigner, it seems to be a field day for Times commentators, to attack her because she non-maltese, with the usual quote "do not meddle in our business" bla, bla bla... Perhaps you should listen to and respect, experts opinion, wherever they come from.... ther knowledge counts !
P.S. I am Maltese, I grew up in Malta, and the amount of smacking I have seen adminsitered to Maltese children, shocks me today !
MBorg
Nov 14th 2009, 13:24
Does Dr Mackenzie really live in England ? Is she really an English expert ? How dare she, comming from a land where the state is worried because children ,young children, are out of control tell us Maltese parents how to bring up our chiildren?
Has this expert read the new report published in the UK which revealed that parents who use " tough love " a mix of love and discipline are doing their offsprings a favour.
Going overboard on so called " rights" are not doing children any good. I am surprised that our Commissioner of Children agreed with her. Being Maltese ahe must know that we love our children and that " a smack " never did anybody any harm.
Marco Farrugia
Nov 14th 2009, 13:16
Take a look at the youth culture(subculture) throughout Northern Europe. It is bad enough here already but if you listen to liberal dimwitted theories like this all will be lost.
Manuel Mangani
Nov 14th 2009, 13:12
The occasional smack probably does no harm, but those who claim out that the lawlessness in the UK is the result of a lack of corporal punishment are very wrong. There is far greater probablity that those committing sometimes heinous crimes were actually raised in an envirionemnt where physical violence (including harsh physical punishment) was deemed acceptable.
Nick Borg
Nov 14th 2009, 12:57
@Dr Mackenzie
It seems you like gross generalisations.
Apparently you haven't taken into account that different societies do things differently. We may all be in Europe however the Maltese do not subscribe to the English way of life. You are getting it so wrong in England that perhaps you should redirect your energy to sorting out the problems you have there. If you label corporal punishment "hitting" then of course it sounds negative. Discipline is another story.
My brother and I were regularly beaten and deservedly so. What parent can control two unruly boys without some form of punishment? It definitely was not violence driven and had no effect on our emotional development. We are and always have been a very close family.
The results from the UK method on the other hand, speak for themselves...
If anything, physical punishment relates directly to the incident and has an immediate effect, while delayed punishment has no incident association for the child.
I personally do not want to see my children growing up without respect and without an understanding that the world is a tough place that will punish you far harder for any infraction than a smack.
James De Giorgio
Nov 14th 2009, 12:57
If this foreign expert thinks she's doing us a favour by guiding our youth down the path their English counterparts have gone, she's absolutely mistaken.
Smacking is a parent's right, and an act of love. Like anything, it can be abused, but then that's called physical abuse, not smacking.
We're focusing too much on children's rights without teaching them their duties.
Parents who occasionally smack their children are doing them the greatest possible favour for later on in life.
Sylvia Zammit
Nov 14th 2009, 12:47
I am so encouraged by the comments left by my fellow Maltese! I think this is 1 area where such interference is totally uncalled for. iI am not a violent person - and abuse of any sort - be it towards animals or humans - is not to be tolerated. but sensible (and therefore controlled) punishment is another story. Some school children as young as 3 are already beyond the teachers' control - which does not say much for their family background! Teachers are more or less no longer able to discipline the children in their charge.If parents are not allowed to, yes, 'feral children' will be the result. Rights and responsibilities are 2 sides of the same coin - you cannot teach about rights unless you also teach about responsibility. A 3-year old anarchist is no better than an adult one.
Joe Tabone
Nov 14th 2009, 12:19
what a load of crap! Is this why where these laws have gone in, we observe the highest crime rates?
E Gatt
Nov 14th 2009, 12:16
Screaming and hitting children can have a negative impact on some children. Bringing up children to respect their elders and others is sadly not the norm anymore. Bringing up children can also be very difficult, rewarding but is still one of the few areas in life where one does not need a licence or training.
On the other hand, we live in a democratic society where my values are not necessary those of my neighbours, and this includes children’s upbringing. To each his own and I agree that we should try and resist Nanny State rules.
Mario Attard
Nov 14th 2009, 12:04
I don't agree with this 'expert'. Just look at the youths in the UK. Political correctness has only caused a lot social problems. It has become much more dangerous there.
No wonder many English people are leaving there and going to safer places to live. Malta is one of them. And here parents have always used reasonable chastisement in the bringing up of their children. I'm not talking about child abuse cases that happen all over the world.
I just hope that our authorities defend our culture and not give in to political correctness. Our ways have proved to work and Malta is still one of the safest places for children and adults. I was brought up in the sixties in Sydney Australia. We didn't even dream to go outside and play. It was really unsafe for children to be un-attended by parents.
E.Muscat
Nov 14th 2009, 11:50
Coming from somebody from a country whose disastrous handling of children's discipline has bred feral children, killing each other on the streets like animals is too much: preaching to people who have handled their kids wisely since even at long last what is called as 'tough love' is being advised by NGOs in UK etc.Go to the housing estates in UK and you will learn what the soft touch has produced!
zaren azzopardi
Nov 14th 2009, 11:37
were did they get this expert from. i live in uk and i m sorry to say that her theories does not bear results. this is one of the most lawless country in the world. she got plenty to do back home.
Mvella
Nov 14th 2009, 11:28
Yeah - let's do that! Let's follow the advice given by a person coming from an unruly country herself -- Maybe it's one way of getting rid of our overcrowding problem if our teenagers start killing each other or start 'doing' decent brave civilians just for fun, kicks and peer appreciation...
Did this woman just land from planet Utopia?
Mrs Mackenzie; stick to where kids REALLY need you .. Burma, India, Africa... oh, and the UK ...
edward bartolo
Nov 14th 2009, 11:25
Quote: "Smacking 'violates children's rights'"...
Spoiling them, raising them without a character and ruining their lives doesn't!!!
Ursula Spiteri
Nov 14th 2009, 11:21
You better introduce something to support parents who have to handle kids from the age of 14 to 18 PLEASE!
Michael Neville Cassar
Nov 14th 2009, 11:19
It is ironic to have an all out controversial situation .I am sorry to say that I disagree with this expert, while I agree that over doing things such as abuse of children I am against it.
Through experience had I not corrected my son when he needed a good smack probable today he would be in jail or a drag edict or dead? The argument that children should not be smacked does not hold ground, so we shall not go from one extreme to another, let us the family correct our chidren accordingly . Over interfering can only have a full society criminals and delinquents, all one has to do is read UK new papers.
Vincent Galea
Nov 14th 2009, 11:10
What's the matter with kids to-day ?.......or should the question be ' What's the matter with grown ups to-day ?'
D Muscat
Nov 14th 2009, 11:02
Are we going to end up as in the UK, where a reprimand (not a smacking) in a supermarket will put us on a child register for 14 years? Will we start having Police trailing us home if we tell our kids to stop running around in a supermarket?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1226056/Mother-trailed-policeman-warned-council-telling-son-checkout.html
No, these jobsworths should first fix the problems in their own countries before telling us how to solve ours'. They have enough yobs fighting in the streets, not to mention the knife culture that exists there. Following her advice is the start of a slippery slope to disaster.
Does she have any children ? Is she talking from experience or just from saying something she read in a book?
Paul Barrett
Nov 14th 2009, 10:52
British Expert !!!!!
Briton - with children using knives on each other at an alarming rate - children with too much power and NO DISCIPLINE.
Basically she can keep her "expert opinion" to herself as it for sure is not working in the UK. Parents must not of course go to extremes but must have the right to reasonably discipline their own children and a "smack" for being naughty is a fair, just and importantly instant form of discipline. Long drawn out alternative punishments do not work and teach the child nothing.
M. Grima
Nov 14th 2009, 10:34
Dear expert I am Maltese but live in England. The problems in the UK due to youths and gangs are so bad that the whole country is full of anti-social behaviour.
So the way I see it....with regards to parenting skills, best educate your country properly (before talking about ours) because Maltese society might have some problems here and there with its youths, but it isn't even comparable to the ones in the UK....and it is all down to parenting....so what are UK parents doing then??
Stephen Vassallo
Nov 14th 2009, 10:33
It would have been much more interesting had Dr. Mackenzie given us her opinions, if any, on the rights of the unborn chiild.
J Farrugia
Nov 14th 2009, 10:22
Oh no not again. Tell this foreigner that according to maltese adage: Is-swat hiereg mill-genna u min iduqu jithenna. I means that corporal punishment IS admitted and let's be frank: WHO DOES NOT IN HIS WHOLE LIFE BEEN GIVEN A SMACK BY HIS PARENTS FOR BEING NAUGHTY? Hands on hearts. What do we do with problematic children? Applaud them?! Good heavens. And if your child hits another child as children usually do, (it;s in their own nature), would not the responsible parent give his child a small smack on his legs? Just to let it in his mind that hitting other children is NO GO? Tell this foreigner we do not need her advice. Charters or no charters corporal punishment will always be with us, otherwise Ms foreigner: SPARE THE ROD AND SPOIL THE CHILD. That's your saying not ours. Being politically correct is neither here nor there. The results are the answers. A generation of idiotic and arrogant youngsters, and I'm no Psychiatrist.
R Felangae
Nov 14th 2009, 10:15
Children are growing up without respect to other people and themselves because of people like you...
Back in my days a punishment or a slap put me in place, and reminded me of my position; to show respect to my superiors.
The road we're pushing through is already visible, with out-of-control children, that just grow up too fast to realise what life is indeed about...
There will be no real men and women in the future... just independent big children.
Congratulations...
martin gauci
Nov 14th 2009, 09:38
oh no!! Another expert trying to justify her salary.