Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

Caribbean parents don't know when they are emotionally abusing their children

Thursday, January 4, 2007

I am a 15 year old female who often has thoughts of suicide, not because the pressures of life get to me, but often at times when my parents strike me and think it is a normal way to educate a child.

It has come to my attention that, in certain Caribbean countries, parents are allowed to beat their children. Although I am not against it, it has been drawn to my attention that the laws regarding the rights of a child often are not enforced, as it is a parents "right" to dicipline their child. However, not only does this create an illusion in the child's mind, but it also psychologically damages a child for life.

As the Caribbean is mostly of African descent I think it wise that parents know that the origin of beating their children comes from white masters wanting their slaves to feel inferior and deprive them of pride, faith in themselves and trust in others.

No culture before slavery permitted beatings as a normality, but as a last resort, so why are the Caribbean countries of the new "modern" world still permitting a form of punishment so barbaric that it seeks to deprive society of a generation of change?

Vincia Herbert
St Kitts

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