Child specialists are concerned at the extent to which traditional methods of admonishing misbehaving children prevail in the Kingdom, citing the use of hot pepper, burning, and locking them up in rooms as harmful forms of behavior correction which could have long-term effects. Mothers, according to Al-Watan newspaper, exchange ideas in how to punish, correct and deter naughty children which they regard as “tried-and-tested methods” but which child specialists say only have the reverse effect. “My neighbors lock their child in a room, burn him with a hot spoon or hit him lightly if he's naughty,” says Umm Khaled. “If he uses bad language they put hot pepper in his mouth.” “These methods may have been useful in the past,” says one mother, “but today's children are more knowledgeable and can be dealt with reasoning, not force.” “Mothers should not be advising each other to use their primitive methods of upbringing methods. Cruelty only results in a hostile child,” says Umm Ali. Ameera Abbas, Professor of Child Education Psychology at Jubail's College of Education, says that locking up a child for doing something wrong is, in itself, “wrong.” “Other methods could be used to isolate a misbehaving child, such as making them sit in a certain place for a short period, such as in front of the family or in a ‘naughty chair', so that they associate the chair with punishment, all depending on the age of the child,” Ameera Abbas says. “Other punishments could include banning them from watching television or taking part in the family activities.” Abbas warns that locking children in a room could make them feel ostracized, insecure and could even frighten them. “Even if the punishment appears to be working in terms of deterring children from repeating their misbehavior, it could still leave them with mental scars that affect their behavior in the future,” Ameera Abbas says. “Mothers forcing hot pepper into children's mouths will only create hostile feelings toward them. The children feel that they are being hurt and so they in turn will want to backlash, leading to children becoming destructive, attempting to embarrass their parents in front of guests, or even harming themselves to cause psychological pain to the parents,” she says. “This hostility may not necessarily become apparent in early childhood, but most likely in adolescence. Adolescents who have been punished by burning as children are likely go astray just to hurt their parents,” Ameera Abbas told Al-Watan. “The best way to punish children is to deprive them of things they love, like watching cartoons, playing video games, visiting friends and cousins, or candy,” she added. __
