Lawmakers withdraw controversial ‘child-discipline bill’ for further review

[webfact]

 

The parliamentary drafting committee has decided to withdraw the controversial bill prohibiting corporal punishment of children for further review, following opposition from Members of Parliament (MPs).

 

During the parliamentary session on September 25th, the second reading of the Civil and Commercial Code amendment, also known as the "anti-spanking bill," faced objections. Some MPs described the bill’s content as vague and conflicting with basic principles.

 

Nipon Khonkhayan, an MP from Bung Kan Province representing the Pheu Thai Party, argued that while parents discipline children out of love, the bill’s restrictions might leave them powerless when dealing with misbehavior.

 

He expressed concerns about the law's impact on child-rearing in rural areas, where grandparents often play a key role. Nipon also raised concerns about its potential effect on teachers' ability to maintain discipline in schools.

Bunthida Somchai, an MP from Ubon Ratchathani with the Bhumjaithai Party, pointed out the ambiguity of certain terms in the bill, such as "dignity of the child." She argued that these terms could complicate legal enforcement and lead to varied interpretations by police and courts.

 

Bunthida urged the committee to clarify the bill’s language to prevent misinterpretations in different cultural contexts across Thailand.

 

Dr. Cholnan Srikaew, another Pheu Thai MP, emphasized that the bill’s content conflicted with its originally accepted principles. He recommended balancing the rights of children and parents while ensuring clearer guidelines for defining human dignity.

 

The bill will be revised to address these concerns before being reintroduced for further debate.

 

Picture courtesy: NNT

 

Source: NNT 

-- 2024-09-27

 

[MarkBR]

Those who hit children are not competent as parents.

[nikmar]

7 minutes ago, MarkBR said:

Those who hit children are not competent as parents.

 

I think it rather depends on your definition of "hit". 

 

There's a big difference to a swipe around the back of the head and an uppercut to the jaw.

My parents smacked my bum a few times, my Dad clipped me around the ear a few times. They were far from incompetent.

[MarkBR]

Just now, nikmar said:

 

I think it rather depends on your definition of "hit". 

 

There's a big difference to a swipe around the back of the head and an uppercut to the jaw.

My parents smacked my bum a few times, my Dad clipped me around the ear a few times. They were far from incompetent.

Agreed, but I assume this is concerning excessive violence just short of children being needing to go to hospital.  Thais seem to have a reaction to problem with excessive reactions.  Thais are not necessarily happy smiley people.

[fredwiggy]

Discipline doesn't mean abuse, or needing to hit a child when they're just being kids. Most everyone has spanked their child, at least a few times, as I did with my first two children. It bothered me more than them, although they did respect me in the house. The next three never got hit at all. The only one that's really having problems is the one who moved near her mother at 19. the others who stayed with me are doing well. Hitting teaches them to hit others, besides in self defense, which is something I also taught. No one touches you and gets away with it. You teach your kids respect for authority when young, they'll follow it in school and in life. Doesn't mean they let others control them.

 

Teachers have no right to touch a child. If you can't control a child in school, you have the parents pick them up. Thailand has a major problem where grandparents are the primary caregivers in more than 35% of households. This isn't normal and leads to problems. My daughter's school has a teacher who walks around with a stick, hitting the kids when they do the very slightest thing. This is abuse and I told the supervisor I won't allow this to happen to my daughter, or the teacher would be history. She had to talk to her two times and hopefully she stops it. She was obviously raised by the same type of parent I see walking around here daily, armed with a stick to keep their cattle in line. The only way this will stop is enforcing the laws regarding corporal punishment. A teacher hits a student, especially if the student isn't in an abusive mode, hitting others, and the teacher is fired. There is such a thing as restraint.

[Tropicalevo]

Corporal punishment was normal in the 50's and 60's.

Most of us survived and grew up to be responsible parents and adults.

Unfortunately, the few rotten apples caused the laws to be changed and now we have an out of control, woke society that does not understand discipline or respect.

Those rotten apples will always exist regardless of the law.

They are still around.

[ujayujay]

2 hours ago, nikmar said:

 

I think it rather depends on your definition of "hit". 

 

There's a big difference to a swipe around the back of the head and an uppercut to the jaw.

My parents smacked my bum a few times, my Dad clipped me around the ear a few times. They were far from incompetent.

You seem to be proof that those who were beaten as children continue this "good old tradition" with their own children. Violence breeds violence.

[nikmar]

4 minutes ago, ujayujay said:

You seem to be proof that those who were beaten as children continue this "good old tradition" with their own children.

 

What on God's Earth are you on about! Are you saying I beat my child?

Edited September 27 by nikmar

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, MarkBR said:

Those who hit children are not competent as parents.

My father was the best parent I've ever met... he taught me everything I ever needed to know and still follow his teachings now in my mid sixties.

And I cans still feel his clip around the ear for being a dumb-ass.

Never hurt me but boy did it teach me.

 

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, MarkBR said:

Agreed, but I assume this is concerning excessive violence just short of children being needing to go to hospital.  Thais seem to have a reaction to problem with excessive reactions.  Thais are not necessarily happy smiley people.

Why is corporal punishment by teachers not mentioned is this report?

[fredwiggy]

3 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

Corporal punishment was normal in the 50's and 60's.

Most of us survived and grew up to be responsible parents and adults.

Unfortunately, the few rotten apples caused the laws to be changed and now we have an out of control, woke society that does not understand discipline or respect.

Those rotten apples will always exist regardless of the law.

They are still around.

Hitting just teaches that hitting is the answer. It isn't. I was hit a couple of times by my dad, so few I remember them, and I only hit all of my 6 children a few times total, and none after the first two. It bothered me more than them. They grew up respectful of authority, elders, animals and partners. I never thought my dad was abusive even though he hit me those few times, but I respected and feared his punishment, mostly because of his words. Society is out of control mainly because of absent parents, or ones that abuse or neglect their children. The least of all is not teaching them respect for life. Everything a person learns starts at home. Peer pressure hurts somewhat but if the child is consistently taught at home what life means, they'll usually remember those lessons.

[fredwiggy]

10 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Why is corporal punishment by teachers not mentioned is this report?

I'm thinking a lot still favor it, including parents that act the same way. The lack of concern for children here is off the scales, and many parents like having children in school because then they are out of their hair. School is  the babysitter from 8-4. If the child disobeys, it's okay if they're hit. I mentioned this earlier. My daughter's Thai teacher hits the kids with a stick, at least she did until I addressed it with the supervisor. My daughter said she hit her on the butt and this is what had me talk to the supervisor, asking her to talk to the teacher, which she did. I saw it again, and repeated my concerns. I told her this was against the law and I wouldn't put up with it. I didn't want to confront the teacher as it is a female, so I let the supervisor do her thing. My daughter said she hasn't hit her since.

[nikmar]

There s no actual need for any physical punishments as i find psychological torture provides better results.

 

[ikke1959]

The kids are being hit by everybody... I see parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, older brothers and sisters, teachers, monks hit kids for minor offences... Once a mother hit a toddler because she was sitting in a shopping cart and wanted a donut from Mr Donut. The mother hit the kid because she wanted and pointed and cried for one... And in an other place we were having lunch a kid in a corner cried. the kid was barely 2 years old and a grand father hit it with  a stick several times because the kid cried. When I wanted to grab the stick and hit the grandfather with it  as I was so angry to see it, my partner told me not to interfere because it was normal in Thailand.....And years later when I was in school teaching a classroom Thai teacher hit a student with with a stick, and than I took the stick out of her hands and broke it, as in my class no students are being hit.... It was a real issue even had to report by the director... And still I have seen many times in other schools too that kids are being hit for nothing and not just a small tick but really  they hit that the kid flies up... And everybody tells me the same.. It is normal in Thailand.... No law can end this

[Mason45]

6 hours ago, MarkBR said:

Agreed, but I assume this is concerning excessive violence just short of children being needing to go to hospital.  Thais seem to have a reaction to problem with excessive reactions.  Thais are not necessarily happy smiley people.

Thais tend to ignore things and let them get out of hand. When they spit the dummy they can go ballistic with the wife or kids being on the end the receiving end.

[BangkokReady]

8 hours ago, MarkBR said:

I assume this is concerning excessive violence just short of children being needing to go to hospital

 

Then it probably shouldn't be called the "anti-spanking law", as spanking is quite mild.

[BangkokReady]

5 hours ago, scorecard said:

Why is corporal punishment by teachers not mentioned is this report?

 

It's already illegal.  This is about parents.

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

 

It's already illegal.  This is about parents.

I realize that, I mentioned it to 'complete' the picture, nothing more.

[lordgrinz]

This type of nonsense has created a generation of non-disciplined children in the USA, "Spare the rod and spoil the child".

[Dogmatix]

My father used to say he was beaten a lot at home and at school and it never did him any harm.  I would argue with that, as it seemed to turn him into a vicious fagellator who enjoyed making his own weapons out of thick electrical cable, lovingly looping the cable into a handle with cord wrapped around for maximum grip.  I refused to cry or show any pain under vicious beatings with these implements, no matter how much it hurt. It was a point of pride for me to keep my dignity and not give him the satisfaction of knowing he had hurt me.  This made him more angry, so he would beat me harder.  At that point, I had trained myself to switch off like I wasn't there which numbed the pain and made it seem like it was someone else being beaten, until my mother or siblings pleaded with him to stop. 

 

At my first boarding school the headmaster was an extreme sexual pervert who loved caning little boys, particularly through thin pajamas or on bare bottoms, his absolute favorite.  Boys would return from his study with blood trickling down the legs of their short trousers and scabs and bruises on their bottoms and thighs that lasted for weeks. Corporal punishment was not reserved for serious offences only but was meted out for things like running in the corridors, failing tests etc.  Boys who were disliked by certain teachers were often framed for something they hadn't done and sent to the headmaster for a flogging.  Teary protestations of innocence just earned the victims additional strokes for "telling tales". 

 

At my senior school things went from bad to worse, as prefects were allowed to cane in addition to housemasters and the headmaster.  Prefects caned boys for offences such as not calling them sir or being late out of house to breakfast three times in a week.  There were also house beatings where a boy had his head pushed out of a dormitory window with the dormer window held down on his shoulders by a prefect, so he couldn't move.  Then each house prefect, and there could be 15 of them, took a stroke after a run up.  One well built boy wasn't having this and struggled free from the window when the head of house was doing his run up and turned round with a cut throat razor in his hand.  The head of house, not so brave on the receiving end of violence, squealed like a pig when he was slashed and the whole bunch of prefects were needed to disarm the boy.  The boy was expelled that night and  news went around the school dining hall at breakfast like wild fire.  The boys were jubilant that someone had stood up to the system and most were sorry the head of house, who was widely disliked, had not received more severe injuries or even been killed.  The cheering and thumping on the table that spread around the dining hall was very loud and the headmaster, who couldn't control the situation looked scared and fled the room, as if he thought he might be hanged from a cross beam by the mob.  The headmaster who succeeded him was an alcoholic who had to be fired by the board of governors because there were too many reports of bare bottom beatings, often of the wrong culprit and sometimes with fiddling of the boy's naughty bits which the headmaster overtly offered as a lighter alternative to a full on trousers down flogging that drew copious amounts of blood.  That school is still paying damages to boys that were abused in the 1970s and recently paid a 400,000 sterling settlement with more cases pending in the Scottish courts.  In addition to the flagellation there was wide spread sexual abuse of younger boys by teachers and prefects and at least one documented homosexual rape of a boy by a teacher who lured him into his classroom under some pretext and locked the door. 

 

That is my personal experience of corporal punishment at home and school.  It is clear that flogging can easily develop into a sexual vice. 

 

It is a complete lie to say it never did anyone any harm and those who push this line are complicit in child abuse.

 

I refuse to hit my son. 

[Dogmatix]

On 9/27/2024 at 1:48 PM, scorecard said:

Why is corporal punishment by teachers not mentioned is this report?

 

Because it was banned in the early 90s.

[Dogmatix]

It will be interesting to see, if vendors of canes for child discipline will disappear from Shopee. I don't it.