14373: Hermantin: South Florida Sun-Sentinel :A Difference In Discipline (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

A Difference In Discipline
South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board

January 8, 2003

Only in the most extreme circumstances should parents be jailed for
disciplining their children. Unfortunately, corporal punishment can be
problematic, particularly for Haitian immigrants who aren't aware of
Florida's child-abuse laws.

There's a thin line between spanking and abuse, and Florida's child-welfare
system is cluttered with cases where adults have blurred that boundary with
tragic results.

The trouble comes from the cultural difference in the use of corporal
punishment. In Haiti, society sees physical discipline as a necessity in
raising a child. Parents don't have to look over their shoulders in a land
where elders still are viewed with respect and the matinet -- a wooden stick
with three leather straps -- is the tool of choice to enforce discipline.

In the United States, though, dispensing corporal punishment can result in
criminal charges if the discipline leaves welts on the body. Florida also
has strict laws that require physicians, schoolteachers and nurses among
others to report any signs of abuse to the Florida Department of Children &
Families' hotline.

The youngsters, who often speak better English than their parents, are quick
to take advantage of the child welfare system and use it to their advantage.
The result robs parents of influencing their children.

A bit of assistance is in order before Florida's court dockets become
clogged with cases of unsuspecting and frustrated adults whose parenting
skills have put them in front of a circuit judge.

DCF is working with several South Florida Haitian social-services programs,
including Minority Development and Empowerment Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, the
Haitian American Community Council in Delray Beach and Sant La, the Haitian
Neighborhood Center in Miami. The state's efforts are worthwhile but not
sufficient to help many Haitian families overcome formidable cultural and
language barriers.

To support these families, more resources from local schools and county
children's services councils are needed to help them find ways to
successfully reprimand youngsters without being abusive.
Copyright © 2003, South Florida Sun-Sentinel





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