"Tyłek nie szklanka" : o popularności kar cielesnych w wychowaniu

Abstract

The paper presents the problem of corporal punishment in Poland in the light of social approval of violent behaviours towards children and social attitudes towards activities counteracting the problem of the use of corporal punishment in upbringing. On the background of the brief presentation of world research proving negative consequences of corporal punishment, and in this context, underlining the meaning of corporal punishment and the need of the intensive actions against the problem, the role of research on social attitudes towards it is accented. Based on this, in the paper some aspects of the report of the Polish Ombudsman for Children on social attitudes towards violence in upbringing from year 2017 are presented. In the light of several indicators that show: the level of social acceptance of violent behaviors in relationship with a child, treating beating children a method of child rising and social awareness of the ban of corporal punishment and the assessment of the law as well as attitudes to others actions, the paper presents considerations about the level of the social acceptance of violence against children, which is seen in Poland and on that ground also rather sad conclusions about the risk of the use of violence in everyday raising practice but also a risk of violence toward a child in its serious forms that harm to health and life of a child. The end of the paper presents the thesis promoted in the world about the possibility of decreasing the problem of child maltreatment by lowering the social acceptance of mild forms of violence. This direction is seen as fundamental in many recommendations and programs undertaken to end violence against children as a global task designated in Sustainable Developmental Goals Agenda 2030.