In this blog post, we will discuss whether corporal punishment is an essential means for educational effectiveness or an ineffective practice that takes student human rights into account, and examine the necessity of corporal punishment.

 

Necessity of corporal punishment

I’m not proud of it, but I always listened to my parents and teachers when I was a child. So, I don’t remember getting many warnings, but I do remember getting scolded or punished a lot. When I was in elementary school, my mother caught me playing a game called “Plucki,” and I got a big scolding. When I was in middle school, I remember getting hit unfairly because I couldn’t control the kids well as the class president. Looking back now, I don’t think the corporal punishment I received was justified. However, after I was scolded by my mother for playing the lottery, I never went near the lottery again and naturally stopped playing games with a high degree of chance. When I asked my mother about the corporal punishment she gave me, she said that she had given me a similar warning for the same reason. Also, the corporal punishment I received in junior high school, which I felt was unfair, seems to have been a good opportunity for me to develop a sense of responsibility and a sense of community as a leader of a group.
In South Korea, corporal punishment has been banned in all elementary, middle, and high schools for some time now. There is a fierce debate over this policy. Proponents argue that the ban on corporal punishment is the starting point for the advancement of student rights. On the other hand, some argue that the ban on corporal punishment will prevent students from developing the character they need to be social beings. I believe that corporal punishment is necessary. To discuss the necessity of corporal punishment, I will first look at why the prohibition of corporal punishment is problematic, and then discuss the necessity of corporal punishment, the circumstances under which corporal punishment is permissible, and the parts of the body that can be punished by establishing the subject and object of corporal punishment.

 

Why the prohibition of corporal punishment is problematic

Why is the policy banning corporal punishment controversial? Traditionally, the educational culture of Korea began with the seodang culture. In seodang, it was natural for the teacher to punish students, and parents trusted the teacher absolutely. This is because Confucian virtues have been valued in Eastern societies, including Korea, since ancient times. However, as Western culture and ideas entered the country, the awareness of human rights that guarantee freedom and equality expanded. The Constitution of the Republic of Korea now guarantees human rights and recognizes teachers and students as equal subjects in education. Therefore, it is considered a violation of human rights for a teacher to physically discipline a student. The coexistence of Confucian values and human rights awareness has led to the conflict over the policy of banning corporal punishment.

 

Setting the subject and target of corporal punishment

Corporal punishment is defined as the act of causing pain to another person’s body using tools or one’s own body when there is a justifiable reason. Since corporal punishment involves physical pain, it is preferable that verbal admonition or non-contact sanctions be given in advance when corporal punishment is not necessary. “Contactless sanctions” here refer to penalty-based activities such as kneeling and raising hands, and cleaning the bathroom. This discussion focuses on whether it is appropriate to use corporal punishment when verbal admonition or contactless sanctions are not effective.
The subject of corporal punishment can be educational institutions such as schools and academies. Schools and academies both share the goal of imparting knowledge to improve learning ability, but schools have a greater responsibility for character education than academies. Therefore, we will not discuss the need for corporal punishment in academies. In addition, for ages above college students, non-contact sanctions such as verbal admonition or grade penalties are sufficient to sufficiently sanction. Therefore, elementary, middle, and high schools are suitable for discussion.

 

Discussion on the necessity of corporal punishment

Then, why is corporal punishment necessary when verbal admonition or non-contact sanctions are not effective? First, schools are institutions that are responsible for holistic education as well as education that conveys knowledge. The age range of elementary, middle, and high school students is not yet that of adults, and they are in the process of developing their social skills. It is desirable that holistic education be conducted at home. However, in modern society, students spend most of their time at school, and schools have taken on the role of the family as well as the transmission of knowledge. Moreover, as nuclear families become more common, the amount of conversation between parents and children is decreasing, and the educational role of the family is weakening. Therefore, schools should take primary measures of verbal admonishment and secondary measures of sanctions for inappropriate behavior, and when this is not enough, corporal punishment should be used to correct the behavior.
Second, corporal punishment is necessary to maintain social order and ensure the right to education of other students. The lack of character education has led to many social conflicts and an increase in juvenile crime as more and more students do not respect adults or value life. If this situation continues, it will be difficult to maintain order in schools and the educational rights of other students may be violated. Therefore, schools should maintain social order by fostering a sense of community and altruistic character in students through appropriate corporal punishment.
Third, the reason for banning corporal punishment is that the sentiments and environments of Korea and the West are too different. One of the reasons for banning corporal punishment in Korea is that Western educational perspectives have been introduced. However, the cultural backgrounds of Korea and the West are different, and they should not be accepted without filtering. Western education often ends with verbal admonishment and non-contact sanctions, but Korea has allowed corporal punishment as necessary. If Western education is system-oriented, it is because Korean education is human-oriented. Of course, if secondary measures are sufficient, that is the best. But what should be done when secondary measures are insufficient? There are two ways to do this: one is to take strong disciplinary measures such as suspension or expulsion, and the other is to use corporal punishment. In the West, most people choose the former, but this is not suitable for Korea. Western education encourages the development of social personality through a system, but Korea has used corporal punishment to focus on the individual and help them grow properly. In the Korean atmosphere and environment, corporal punishment can be educational. However, if Westernization continues, Western-style education may be more suitable.

 

Discussion on the Permissibility of Corporal Punishment and the Parts of the Body That Can Be Corporal Punished

Although the sentiments and environment in Korea have become more Westernized, there are still many aspects that have not. Therefore, in the current situation in Korea, appropriate corporal punishment is necessary when non-contact sanctions are ineffective. Now, let’s discuss the standards for corporal punishment.
First, corporal punishment is primarily verbal admonishment and secondarily only permitted when non-contact sanctions are ineffective. This is because corporal punishment does not have to be carried out by inflicting physical pain. In addition, corporal punishment should not be allowed to degenerate into an emotional act.
Second, if a situation exists in which strong sanctions such as suspension or expulsion can be taken in the Western style, it is appropriate to take those measures instead of corporal punishment. However, strong sanctions and corporal punishment each have their own pros and cons, so the educator should choose based on their discretion.
Third, corporal punishment should be limited to areas such as the palms and soles of the feet where physical injury can be minimized. Since corporal punishment is a means of correction for education rather than for the purpose of physical injury, the areas of corporal punishment should be limited. It is important to reduce the risk of physical injury from corporal punishment while achieving the maximum educational effect.

 

Reasons for supporting the corporal punishment policy

Corporal punishment is one of the educational methods that should be avoided as much as possible because it involves physical pain. However, the sentiment and situation in Korea are different from those in the West, and it is not appropriate to unconditionally accept the prohibition of corporal punishment. Moreover, in the case of elementary, middle, and high school students, verbal admonition or non-contact sanctions are often ineffective. Therefore, in the current Korean sentiment and environment, appropriate corporal punishment is necessary, and a policy prohibiting corporal punishment should be approached with caution.