Is Shaming the Fix to Your Misbehaving Child?
"If your kid’s acting out, barber Russell Fredrick and his team at A-1 Kutz, a barbershop in suburban Atlanta, are happy to help with a creative kind of discipline."
A suburban Atlanta barbershop has been recently brought about in the social media world. Three days a week, Russell Frederick and his team of barbers offer what is called the "Benjamin Button Special" to parents who would like to try a new form of discipline with misbehaving kids. The cut involves shaving off the child's hair at the top, making it resemble the hairline of a balding old man.
Frederick claims that he used this technique on his own son, Rushawn, and he immediately experienced "dramatically skyrocketing" grades. Many other parents have also shown support towards this disciplinary technique. The claim is that, previously, parents could spank their kids or use some sort of physical punishment in order to get them to behave. Nowadays, that is considered illegal, for good reason. But this leaves parents feeling helpless and at a loss of what to do when their children are continuously acting out.
Personally, I understand where Frederick and his supporters are coming from but it doesn't change the fact that this isn't punishment. This is ultimately a way of shaming children which is a form of emotional abuse.
Although, this method may work on select kids, it definitely won't work on all. In fact, it can discourage kids. By giving kids an embarrassing haircut, it can pinpoint them as a target for bullying in school. So instead of motivating them to improve their grades, it can actually do the opposite. It may dishearten them from going to school as a whole due to the tormenting or teasing that they may face there. It can make them feel self-conscious and insecure which can cause a lot of emotional issues.
I also find that this is a way of lazy parenting. It seems as if the only parents who would be up for it are ones who have messed up so badly that they don't know what to do with their children, and are desperate for a quick "fix". Unless the message you are trying to send to your kids is that they are an embarrassment, something to be ridiculed and a source of entertainment to their parents, there is no need for this.
All in all, it's safe to say that I'm against shaming in all forms, and this is definitely shaming. Quite possibly even the worst kid, since it's done by the kid's parents who are supposed to do the exact opposite.
I agree with your stance on this topic and I do not believe that it is fair to shame children in any way. Many children and teenagers already suffer with self- esteem issues and to humiliate them, not only in front of classmates, but also on the internet is cruel and unusual. I, as a teenager, would resent my parents for embarrassing me on a social media platform, as I believe that it will cause a degradation in my self-esteem and possibly create a judgmental social atmosphere. Parents should create news ways to teach their children a lesson instead of being lazy and encouraging bullying towards their children. I am highly offended by the fact that parents think this is a logical way to improve their children's behaviour, as if I were a parent I would never force such a terrible punishment onto my child. There are different solutions to these types of problems! I am strongly against humiliation as a punishment.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point on this form of shaming being a kind of emotional abuse. This is a type of punishment that may not have the same effect on all children, since we are all unique individuals. I really liked your point on this being a form of lazy parenting. I find this as a super temporary solution and would never act this out on my own children.
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