Sunny Side Up: The contradiction in using violence to stop violence

Across decades, research across cultures points to similar outcomes. Physical punishment is linked to higher aggression, poorer emotional regulation, and strained relationships later in life. — Filepic/The Star

Growing up in the west of Scotland in the 1980s and 1990s, physical discipline was a normal part of life intended to ensure children were well-behaved. It wasn’t in schools by then, having been banned in classrooms in 1987 and, more recently, banned entirely in 2020.

But being smacked or “belted” wasn’t seen as cruel, just part of how children were kept in line. Phrases like “children should be seen and not heard” were also common, and they shaped how adults saw children, as though obedience and respect were the same thing.