A review of the literature on corporal punishment in The Bahamas, with an emphasis on its use in schools
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15362/ijbs.v26i0.353Keywords:
Literature review, Corporal punishment, Bahamian education systemAbstract
This review of the literature concerning corporal punishment arising from The Bahamas enables us to identify several strands: (1) corporal punishment is an historically accepted method of controlling children which only recently has been called into question; (2) school teachers have typically seen corporal punishment as a useful classroom management tool; (3) there has been unease about its use in schools which has resulted in its regulation; (4) more recently, there has been evidence of the awareness of the long-term negative effects of corporal punishment; and (5) the rise of social media has made corporal punishment and its potential abuses visible to a wider audience. These strands appear to have woven together to move the country in a direction of outlawing corporal punishment, at least in schools.References
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Reports of corporal punishment in the Bahamian press: a selection
Adderley, M. (2018, May 11). Whipped, beaten and filmed for Facebook. The Tribune. http://www.tribune242.com/news/2018/may/10/whipped-beaten-and-filmed-facebook/
Adderley, M. (2019, May 2). Teacher in beating video broke rules. The Tribune, http://www.tribune242.com/news/2019/may/03/teacher-beating-video-broke-rules/
Brown, K. (2019, June 12). Lloyd addresses corporal punishment in schools. The Nassau Guardian, https://thenassauguardian.com/2019/06/12/lloyd-addresses-corporal-punishment-in-schools/
Corporal Punishment. (2019, June 3). Belts will leave a mark but that is not abuse [Letter to the Editor]. The Tribune. http://www.tribune242.com/news/2019/jun/03/belts-will-leave-mark-not-abuse/
Disturbed and Deeply Concerned. (2019, June 5). Beating children is our sport [Letter to the Editor} The Tribune. http://www.tribune242.com/news/2019/jun/05/beating-children-our-sport/
Jones, R. (2019, June 13). Lloyd: Society must decide way forward on corporal punishment. Eyewitness News. https://ewnews.com/lloyd-society-must-decide-way-forward-on-corporal-punishment
McKenzie, N. (2008, August 7). Baby-sitter fined for spanking infant. The Tribune. p. 3. https://dloc.com/UF00084249/01094/3j?search=tribune
Minnis, K. (2008, August 21). Is sparing the rod spoiling the child?
Nassau Guardian, p. REL1.
Rolle, R. (2019, December 16). Lloyd appalled by support for beating. The Tribune. http://www.tribune242.com/news/2019/dec/16/lloyd-appalled-support-beating/
Rolle, R. (2018, March 5). School beatings must be very last resort. The Tribune. http://www.tribune242.com/news/2018/mar/05/school-beatings-must-be-very-last-resort/
Russell, K. (2019, June 13). Social media danger must be addressed. The Tribune. http://www.tribune242.com/news/2019/jun/13/social-media-danger-must-be-addressed/
Scavella, N. (2016, November 2). Officer who struck fighting students ‘was performing his duty’. The Tribune. http://www.tribune242.com/news/2016/nov/02/officer-who-struck-fighting-students-was-performin/
Smith, S. (2018, October 26). Bahamians urged to move beyond corporal punishment. The Nassau Guardian. https://thenassauguardian.com/2018/10/26/bahamas-urged-to-advance-beyond-corporal-punishment/
Strachan, M. (2019, June 17). Insight: The grey area of corporal punishment in schools may have made one administrator a sacrificial lamb. The Tribune. http://www.tribune242.com/news/2019/jun/17/insight-grey-area-corporal-punishment-schools-may-/
Study: Corporal punishment of children promoting culture of violence in region. (2011, November 18). The Nassau Guardian. https://thenassauguardian.com/2011/11/18/study-corporal-punishment-of-children-promoting-culture-of-violence-in-region/
Turnquest, A. (2018, February 27). It's time to stop school beatings. The Tribune. http://www.tribune242.com/news/2018/feb/28/its-time-stop-school-beatings/
Turnquest, A. (2018, September 7). Student beating: Police investigate. The Tribune. http://www.tribune242.com/news/2018/sep/07/students-beating-police-investigate/
Turnquest, A. (2019, May 30). Father's fury as son comes home from school 'black and blue'. The Tribune. http://www.tribune242.com/news/2019/may/30/fathers-fury-son-comes-home-school-black-and-blue/
Wallace, A. (2019, April 3). Schools have to get in the fight to protect our students. The Tribune. http://www.tribune242.com/news/2019/apr/03/alicia-wallace-column-schools-have-get-fight-prote/
Wells, R. (2019, April 4). Lloyd waiting on beating report. The Tribune. http://www.tribune242.com/news/2019/apr/04/lloyd-waiting-beating-report/
Wells, R. (2019, March 28). Out of order: Ministry probes teacher filmed beating students. The Tribune. http://www.tribune242.com/news/2019/mar/29/out-order-ministry-probes-teacher-filmed-beating-s/
Wells, R. (2019, June 4). Bishop urges amicable solution to beating row. The Tribune. http://www.tribune242.com/news/2019/jun/04/bishop-urges-amicable-solution-beating-row/