Psychological Punishment in Schools: The Invisible Threat to Children's Mental Health

Punishment-free (plus) school! With education free of punishment, the Indian education system and schools have been proving their mettle. Government records, school fact sheets, education reports and compliance audits today show our schools as corporal punishment-free zones. Official data from 2021 shows that the cases of corporal punishment in schools have reduced compared to the previous decade. These days, teachers are afraid to punish children for fear of punishment. No more those slapping, kicking or caning. These days, oil is no longer applied to the back, nor red blood is poured on the thighs. But under this punishment-free education, another form of punishment is spreading its wings, which has a deeper impact on children than physical injuries. These days, physical punishment is rarely seen in schools, but the unseen psychological punishment is slowly eating away at the childhood and future of children. The verbal abuse, humiliation, abuse, neglect, discrimination, labelling and intimidation inflicted on children by teachers in the classroom is like an invisible poison, which is much more dangerous than physical punishment. In addition, the child's body shows signs of punishment, which are later protested and later punished. When a child's mind is hurt or damaged, no one can easily see it or know it. Physical punishment is common in schools, but there is no standard or punishment for the invisible or invisible mental punishment. A survey conducted by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights in 2018 revealed that 42% of students face verbal abuse from teachers, while 36% are humiliated. The National Mental Health Survey has revealed that nearly one in eight school-aged adolescents suffers from a mental health problem, many of which are rooted in the school environment, which is caused by fear, shame and emotional stress. Children are not physically beaten in today's classrooms, but what about psychological abuse, which damages their self-confidence? Ironically, it is illegal to spank a child in the classroom today, but there is no shame in humiliating, belittling or psychologically attacking a child through harsh words. In the classroom, teachers make fun of them for not understanding the lesson, ask them questions, insult them by comparing them with their peers or publicly humiliate them and make them mentally weak. . Is such punishment, statistically ignored as punishment? Since the wounds of psychological punishment are not visible to the naked eye, its calculation is invisible in the list of punishments. Should teachers call students worthless, incapable, or burdensome, or say, 'You will never succeed in life,' or call them 'stupid' or 'donkey,' or use foul language? This problem is more prevalent at the primary and upper primary levels. Because young children think that it is the teacher's role, his duties, and the way to complain, they remain silent. Psychological punishment has an undesirable effect on the mental, academic, and physical health of children. The primary and secondary grades are such a stage among students, which marks the take-off and transition phase. At that time, if a child is repeatedly teased, compared, labeled as 'slow' or discouraged from asking questions, they become victims of psychological abuse and prejudice, which includes sitting separately, being ignored in class, insulting or giving harsher punishments. It is not academic discipline by teachers, but psychological torture inflicted on students, which is no less than any physical punishment, the effect of which is not philosophical but neurological and long-term. Research in child psychology shows that prolonged humiliation and fear activate cortisol secretion, which affects the brain regions responsible for cognition, memory and emotional regulation. A study conducted by Dr. Antarjita Nayak Mo: 6370905947 in the Indian Journal of Pediatrics has linked psychological punishment to anxiety, school phobia, self-harm, difficulty concentrating and reduced self-esteem in adolescents. The most devastating consequence of psychological punishment is its negative impact on creativity and curiosity. In an environment where children are afraid to ask questions, when we are so concerned about our children's future, is it more important to solve the problem or prevent it? The answer largely depends on who we hire as teachers and how we prepare them in the future. We lose the power of imagination and self-esteem. If hitting is violence, then is not insulting violence? If beating disrupts learning, then is not shaming, calling a donkey, and discriminating against education an affront to learning? If the injuries caused by physical punishment are counted or considered a crime, then why is the broken heart and self-confidence not counted and considered a crime? According to a UNICEF global report on violence against children, Indian children are the most victims of verbal violence in the world in school settings.