‘Beating Children Has Never Led To Discipline’ -See If You Agree With Reno Omokri’s Viewpoint

Nigerian author and dad-of-three, Reno Omokri appears to disagree with the Africa belief that children need to be beaten as a corrective and disciplinary measure.

In a post shared on his Instagram page, Reno opined that beating a child has never led to discipline, rather it instills fear in the child.

He added that if beatings truly worked as a corrective and disciplinary measure, Africa will have the most well-behaved adults but reverse is the case.

Read what he wrote below

“Beating children has never led to discipline. But it always leads to fear. And Scripture says ‘perfect love casts out fear’-1 John 4:18. Consult child psychologists about this. They will tell you beating either hardens children or makes them timid.

Many children who bed wet, were beaten. And bed wetting and animal cruelty are linked to a higher likelihood of adult criminality. It is called the Macdonald triad. If you want your children to turn out well, punish them when they misbehave by temporarily depriving them of things you know they want, and reward them when they behave.

If you regularly reward children for good behaviour, they will hardly display bad behaviour, because they become addicted to the rewards they get when they behave well. It is like you. You do not go to work out of fear. You go because you anticipate a reward-salary.

I have read Scripture in the original language and ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’-Proverbs 13:24 is a proverb. It is not meant to be taken literally! You did not turn out well because your parents beat you. How many beatings did Elon Musk parents give him?

If beatings worked, Black Africa world would have the most well behaved adults. But let’s honestly rate our society. The level of paternity fraud. Wide acceptance of yahoo. What do our girls go to do in Italy/Europe. It is high time we review our child raising mentality.”

SEE ALSO: ‘How Fela Kuti’s father’s cane shaped my life’ -Nigerian Poet, Prof. Wole Soyinka

While some agree with his viewpoint, others strongly disagreed with him. Reacting to some comments, Reno writes on:

“The mentality of our people is really scary.

Let us just apply some deductive reasoning here. Please Google this. Beating children is a crime in all the Scandinavian countries. Yet, Scandinavia has the world’s lowest crime rate. If your assertion was correct, they ought to be the world headquarters for yahoo yahoo and Italy girls!

Scandinavian countries are actually closing down some of their prisons or converting them to hotels or resorts, because they have very few prisoners.

I actually spent a week in Finland at a converted prison, which is now a hotel. Let us trust verifiable scientific research and data that does not conflict with the word of God, rather than age long practices that have not brought the expected discipline and progress to Black Africa.

It is this sense that we have that has prevented wisdom from permeating us. Go and find out the history of Scandinavia. They were once poor. They overcame poverty not by beating their children, but by educating them!”

One follower wrote: “I disagree with you on this one. Children fear kane more than words and once the discipline is instilled in them, they will grow up with it.”

ALSO SEE: Discipline: Parents & Educators Share Their Divergent Views On The Use Of Cane

Reno responded saying:

“Yes. You are perfectly right. They fear the cane. Not you. When they become old enough not to be caned, they will lose their fear of you, and that fear vacuum will be replaced by deep resentment.

That is the number one reason why males in the Black world are stereotypically alienated from their fathers as adults and very easily influenced by their mothers.

It is because their mothers are more likely to use the reward system, while their fathers are more likely to be authoritarian and domineering and often applying beatings.

It has been scientifically established that parents who use the temporary deprivation discipline model, and the reward system for good behaviour, are more likely to retain lifelong influence over their children.

In any case, I still thank you for your feedback and may God bless you.”