Dear Editor,
The Youth Coalition for Transformation (YCT) is disputing that corporal punishment in schools is perpetuating itself into violence in today’s society. Additionally, they are opining that corporal punishment is as equivalent to the tactics used by the Guyana Police Force to control people.
In a recent presentation, YCT explained that the beating of children at home and in schools has resulted in many becoming cultured to the use of violence as a way of being powerful.
They proceeded to state that corporal punishment is part of a general cycle of violence, and it is a medium of conflict resolution used by the police and many others to achieve power and domination.
I will personally continue to commend the amicable effort that the police are taking to curb criminal activities in Guyana. Many citizens blame the police for the increase in crime, stating that they are incompetent and useless. However, when they intensify their efforts to address issues, they are still critiqued by those same individuals.
Additionally, it is wrong to make a comparison between corporal punishment and criminality. People who fall prey to a criminal lifestyle often have common traits including lack of education, irresponsible lifestyles, come from broken homes and who generally try to find an easy way out of life.
As good Samaritans, we need to express apathy to these individuals and we should also seek to help steer them in the right direction.
Guyana has many opportunities, but it is our responsibility to take that first step to living a good life.
Sincerely,
Clinton Reid