Corporal punishment is a method of physical discipline intended to cause pain to a person. When it’s inflicted on minors, especially in home and school settings, its methods may include spanking or caning.

Corporal punishment or violent discipline by caregivers is the most common form of violence against children. Worldwide, 4 out of 5 children aged 2 to 14 are affected by corporal punishment. This happens in many basic settings – at home, in the classroom, in childcare, and in juvenile detention centres. And today, 86% of children in the world are not legally protected from this practice.

While corporal punishment can lead to immediate obedience, researchers have found that the behavioural changes may only be short-term. Studies consistently show that corporal punishment is ineffective in the long run and may even cause behaviour problems to worsen over time.

For example, hitting children reinforces aggressive behaviour. A variety of research studies have found that children who are hit are more likely to hit other people. The reason is simple. Physical punishment models aggressive behaviour, which teaches children to use violence to solve problems. It can also lead to bullying, dating violence, and other problem behaviours that involve having power over others.

Spanking and other physical punishment damage the relationship between children and their parents or caregivers. Here are some reasons why corporal punishment shouldn’t be tolerated by any society: 

• It is a form of child abuse
• It can increase aggression
• Antisocial behaviour
• Physical injury
• Mental health issues
• Poor educational outcomes
• Perpetration of violence 
• Lack of acceptance by peers 
• Depression Disorder 
• Psychological Damage 

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this article, or would like to learn more about corporal punishment in Thailand please email info@childlinethailand.org or contact us via social media https://www.facebook.com/childlinethailand https://twitter.com/saidek1387

The post What is Corporal Punishment? appeared first on Childline Thailand.

International Child Helpline Day has been celebrated every year on 17 May since 2005  to recognise the achievement of child helplines around the world. Covid-19 has seen an increase in contacts to many helplines, including childline Thailand. Since countries locked down, children have become more vulnerable to violence at home and increasingly likely to suffer from the effects of school closure, depression and economic downturn.  A report published by Child Helpline International reveals that, globally, child helpline members received 25% more contacts in 2020 compared to 2019.  Childline’s Thailand data from our contact centre was used in the report, available here https://www.childhelplineinternational.org/data-overview/publications/voices-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/

#InternationalChildHelplineDay

#EveryChildHasAVoice

The post International Child Helpline Day 2021 appeared first on Childline Thailand.

Economic hardship can lead to strains on family relationships and children are all too often affected by parents suffering from frustration, desperation and depression. Childline Thailand’s Call Centre recently gave counselling to a teenager via social media; the youths family’s small business was losing money due to COVID-19 restrictions and they were feeling helpless. During the conversation it was revealed that financial pressure was causing suffering to their parents:

“Last night my father said that we should kill ourselves. We have received no support and the bank is calling everyday. We’ve had to sell all the possession in our house, we’re at the bottom of the sea- there’s nothing left”

A recent study by Chiang Mai University’s Humanities Faculty attributed as many as 38 suicides in Thailand to Coronavirus. This week a man in Pattaya climbed onto power lines and threatened to jump (Bangkok Post, 12th May), on 28th April a 59 year old woman drank a bottle of rat poison outside the Ministry of Finance and two university students died after jumping off a Bangkok bridge in a ‘Covid 19 related pact’ (Thethaiger 6th April).

Childline Thailand has seen an increase in calls during the last three months, from an average of 614 calls and chat sessions per month in 2019 to a record high of 2235 in April 2020. Calls and messages related to mental health now count for 26% of all requests for help. In a recent survey by UNICEF it was discovered that “Eight in 10 young people surveyed have said they are deeply worried about their family’s income and financial status.” This is a disturbing trend and one that is likely to continue in the coming months as the aftermath of COVID-19 is felt. We must prioritize the mental health of our children and make vital support services like Childline available for those who are ‘calling for help’.

For further information please contact info@childlinethailand.org

The post Calling for Help: Thailand’s Mental Health Crisis appeared first on Childline Thailand.