No abstract

Child discipline is a vital part of child‐rearing in all cultures. The need for child discipline is generally recognised, but considerable debate exists regarding the best methods. Corporal punishment (CP) is a dominant practice in Caribbean cultures. This qualitative study investigated community perceptions of the function, legality and boundaries of CP in child‐rearing practices in Suriname, in which CP is defined as hitting a child on their buttocks or extremities using an open hand. Twelve focus group discussions were conducted with adolescent and adult community members from Creole and Maroon backgrounds, as well as with professionals working with children. ATLAS.ti (version 7.5.4), a qualitative data package, was used to conduct the analyses. This study showed how violent forms of disciplining children are widely accepted and practised in Suriname. CP is considered a necessary and respected form of disciplining children, particularly by parents. Participants know about the existence of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child that has been ratified in Suriname, but there is a lack of knowledge about its content. Developing appropriate policy responses to violence towards children requires understanding of the perception and use of CP. Such knowledge is needed to tackle the invisibility and social acceptance of violence in child discipline. Key Practitioner Messages Under certain circumstances, Corporal Punishment (CP) is accepted and applied in Suriname, despite growing knowledge of its harmful consequences. While participants considered the lawfulness of behaviour, they were primarily interested in the intentions of the caretakers when using CP If these were interpreted ‘in the best interest of the child’, CP was not considered maltreatment. Understanding of what motivates caregivers to use CP helps in developing appropriate policy responses in order to prevent and respond to violence towards children.

While the protection of children from all forms of violence is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, violence remains a part of life for children around the globe. Corporal punishment is a form of violence and a dominant practice as a method of corrective parenting in the Caribbean. While researchers are starting to ask children directly about their experiences of violence, there is limited research on children’s perspectives of the function, legality, and boundaries of corporal punishment, particularly in low-and middle-income countries. This study begins to address this gap by reporting on 12 focus groups that were conducted with adolescents (aged 12 to 18 years) and caregivers of Indo-Caribbean background in Suriname. The aim is to explore adolescents’ and caregivers’ shared perspectives about the prevalence of corporal punishment in Suriname, responses to and feelings about its use as a discipline strategy and perspectives of the rationales for and against corporal punishment, and their views on banning it. Analyses were done using ATLAS.ti version 1.0.50, a qualitative data package. Corporal punishment showed to be an everyday experience in children’s lives in Suriname. There was no clear consensus regarding adolescents’ and caregivers’ perspectives on the parental use of corporal punishment. Many participants hesitated to support efforts to prohibit corporal punishment legally. Messages arising from this study could usefully inform the development of a public information campaign on safe and effective discipline of children in Suriname.