PRACTICE AND POLITICS OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN SCHOOLS: A CASE STUDY OF DISTRICT PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN Submitted By: AKHTAR MUNIR PhD Scholar Research Supervisor: PROF. DR. BASHARAT HUSSAIN A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Peshawar, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Social Work DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK UNIVERSITY OF PESHAWAR FEBRUARY, 2019 Abstract The practice of corporal punishment against children is a common phenomenon around the world. This study examined the phenomenon of corporal punishment in schools of Peshawar, Pakistan as very minimum research has been carried out on this issue in Pakistan. Previous studies proved that the practice of corporal punishment is associated with numerous negative impacts on children whilst others indicate positive impacts. The present study addressed a range of dimensions from physical to psychological and from sociological to religious doctrine, which are linked with the phenomenon of corporal punishment. The research was conducted in Peshawar, Pakistan. Due to the sensitive nature of the topic in Pakistan, the selected methodology was qualitative, adopting a purposive sampling technique for participant selection. A sample of fifty interviewees was achieved; ten each of teachers, parents, child psychologists, religious scholars and non- government organization workers. Data was collected through in-depth interviews using an interview guide. To enhance validity and reliability data was triangulated with field notes and analysis of relevant policy documents and the research literature. Informed consent was obtained from each participant and data anonymity and confidentiality was ensured. Applied discourse analysis of interview data found that participants were supportive of the practice of corporal punishment in some cases. Cultural acceptability, personal experience in the past, achieving academic goals, lack of awareness, illiteracy, religious factors, anger, work stress, school environment, teacher’s frustration and teachers lack of understanding of child behaviour are some of the main causes of corporal punishment i practice. Negative impacts of corporal punishment on children were also recognized by respondents. These included; an increase in anti-social behaviour and aggression, escalation to physical abuse, spoiled creativity, lack of courage, anxiety, depression, frustration, poor academic achievement, criminal tendencies, promoting a culture of violence and drop out from school. Conversely, some participants consider corporal punishment beneficial for adult respect, obedience and the achievement of academic goals. The study provides research based policy recommendations for abolishing corporal punishment from schools including; educational system reform, mass awareness, teacher training programmes, promoting alternative methods for behaviour modification to teachers and parents, strengthening of parents-teachers council, dealing with teachers own frustration, following the real meaning of Islamic teaching, effective legislation and implementation, opening up complaint mechanisms, effective monitoring, evaluation and accountability, prioritizing child rights, enhancing government interest in child education, advocacy seminars on child rights, promoting a culture of rewards and appreciation in schools and appointing Social Worker’s and Child Psychologists to support the strategy. This combination of measures will be helpful in dealing with the practice of corporal punishment in schools of Pakistan. ii Dedication Firstly, I would like to dedicate this work to the memory of my late parents Wali Muhammad (1943-2002) and Zarwari Begum (1953-2013) who sadly passed away before the completion of this work. Secondly, I would also like to dedicate this work to my family. There are no words to express my gratitude to them. Thank you for your support, kindness and encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that has kept me motivated and enthusiastic about this study. Lastly, I would like to dedicate this work to the children of Pakistan who suffer from neglect, exploitation and violence not only in schools but also in homes, and to the professionals, researchers and pediatrician who are working tirelessly to make Pakistan a safe place for children. iii Acknowledgments First and the foremost, I wish to give praise to Almighty Allah who has bestowed upon me the courage, wellbeing and determination to complete my doctoral studies with great passion, zeal and enthusiasm. Doctoral research requires huge personal effort and motivation, and I have been blessed with the help and support of so many people during this journey and throughout my life. Too numerous to mention individually, I would like to express my sincerest thanks to you all. In particular, I would like to thank my supervisor Prof. Basharat Hussain who has taught me how rigorous Social Work research is undertaken. I admire his dynamism, intellect, academic excellence and philosophical thinking, which made this study more original, interesting and relevant. I also appreciate his time, guidance, patience, commitment, encouragement and invaluable ideas, which enabled me to complete this dissertation. It has been an honour to be his doctoral student. I would also like to thank Wajid Ihsan (Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan), Adnan Ali (Bahria University, Islamabad), Syed Naqeeb Hussain (Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat), and Hamid Alam and Sajjad Hussain (University of Malakand, Pakistan) for their invaluable inputs and suggestions to the study. iv My deepest gratitude is given to my best friends Shakeel Ahmad, Zahid Ali and Zahid Amin for their moral support and encouragement. I am appreciative of my nephews Asad Ali and Zeeshan, who asked so many questions about my research that I remained enthusiastic and committed throughout the PhD journey. I am very thankful for the research participants who gave their invaluable time and agreed to be interviewed and to Adnan Quddus, Fazal Hayat, Rajmali Khan and Tariq Mehmood for assisting with data collection process. Finally, I am deeply grateful to my family for providing continuous encouragement during my doctoral studies and am appreciative of their prayers for the successful completion of this project. In addition, I am extremely indebted to my brother-in-laws Amjad Ali and Sabz Ali, who have had an important influence on my academic career, including this life-changing PhD journey. Akhtar Munir v Author’s Declaration I, Akhtar Munir, hereby state that my PhD thesis titled “Practice and Politics of Corporal Punishment in Schools: A Case Study of District Peshawar, Pakistan” is my own work and has not been submitted previously by me for taking any degree from the University of Peshawar or anywhere else in the country/world. At any time if my statement is found to be incorrect even after my graduation the University of Peshawar has the right to withdraw my PhD degree. Name of Student: Akhtar Munir Dated: 15.02.2019 vi Plagiarism Undertaking I solemnly declare that research work presented in the thesis titled “Practice and Politics of Corporal Punishment in Schools: A Case Study of District Peshawar, Pakistan” is solely my research work with no significant contribution from any other person. Small contribution/help wherever taken has been duly acknowledged and that complete thesis has been written by me. I understand the zero-tolerance policy of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the University of Peshawar towards plagiarism. Therefore, I as an author of the above titled thesis declare that no portion of my thesis has been plagiarized and any material used as reference is properly referred/cited. I undertake that if I am found guilty of any formal plagiarism in the above titled thesis even after award of PhD degree, the University of Peshawar reserves the rights to withdraw/revoke my PhD degree and that Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the University of Peshawar have the right to publish my name on the HEC/University website on which names of students are placed who submitted plagiarized thesis. Student/Author Signature: ______________________ Name: Akhtar Munir vii List of Tables and Figures List of Tables Table 5.1: Sample Size and Stakeholder Group Table 6.1: Support and non-support of participants by position Table 6.2: Age and attitude of participants towards corporal punishment Table 6.3: Gender and attitudes of participants towards corporal punishment List of Figures Figure 2.1: Model of Social Causes of Corporal Punishment Figure 2.2: Effects of Corporal Punishment on child and his/her Behaviour Figure 5.1: Variation in Information Power Figure 5.2: Stages of Discussion in In-depth Interviews Figure 8.1: An Explanaotory Ecological Framework for the Perpetuation of Corporal Punishment in Schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa viii Table of Contents Abstract………………………………………………………………………...i Dedication…………………………………………………………………….iii Acknowledgment……………………………………………………………..iv Author’s Declaration………………………………………………………….vi Plagiarism Undertaking………………………………………………………vii List of Tables and Figures…………………………………………………...viii Chapter 1: Introduction…………………………………………………………….01 1.1 Preamble…………………………………………………………………...1 1.2 Definitions of Key terms…………………………………………………..2 1.3 Statement of the Problem………………………………………………….4 1.4 Justification and Significance of the Study………………………………..6 1.5 Research Context: Pakistan………………………………………………..7