Conference paper
The Practice of Discipline: The Child's Right to a Culture vs. The Child's Right to Safety
The Complexities of Racism: Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Racisms in the New World Order, pp.16-26
International Conference on Racisims in the New World Order, 2nd (Caloundra, Australia, 06-Dec-2007–07-Dec-2007)
University of the Sunshine Coast
2008
Abstract
This paper attempts to raise a rather difficult question of child protection that frequently arises in service delivery, which is, how does one intervene in instances of the (sometimes fairly severe) physical and corporal punishment of children where these practices seem to have some level of acceptance within the child's culture? Professionals often find themselves in very real dilemmas which often seem to involve making a choice between the child's right to safety and the belief that the professional should not intervene in accepted cultural practices, based on the child's right to a culture, both of which are children's rights as secured in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). (Article 8 states the child's right to an identity, including a name, nationality, and family ties; Article 30 reinforces this right for children from minority cultures; Article 19 protects children from 'all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse'.) This same dilemma does not seem to arise in instances of child sexual abuse, as it has been well-documented that few cultures practice adult-child sexual contact, and where this does occur, it is usually in the context of time-limited initiation rituals or where the age difference between the adult and the young person is not excessive (Davenport, 1992; Fontes, 2005; Korbin, 1981; 1987; 1991; NSW Child Protection Council, 1993; Scheper-Hughes, 1998, pp. 299-301; see also Marks, 2008, for a discussion of this issue in relation to child sexual abuse allegations which emerged on Pitcairn Island).
Details
- Title
- The Practice of Discipline: The Child's Right to a Culture vs. The Child's Right to Safety
- Authors
- Ron Frey (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
- Contributors
- Hurriyet Babacan (Editor)Narayan Gopalkrishnan (Editor)
- Publication details
- The Complexities of Racism: Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Racisms in the New World Order, pp.16-26
- Conference details
- International Conference on Racisims in the New World Order, 2nd (Caloundra, Australia, 06-Dec-2007–07-Dec-2007)
- Publisher
- University of the Sunshine Coast
- Date published
- 2008
- ISBN
- 9780980474411
- Copyright note
- Copyright © 2008 The Authors. Reproduced with permission of the authors.
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99450276302621
- Output Type
- Conference paper
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