Corporal Punishment

Regardless of my extremely positive experience thus far, adhering to cultural norms and values in Tonga that are so dissimilar from life in the United States has been extremely difficult. Drastic changes in privacy, diet, socializing and communication have undoubtedly been some of the most trying adjustments. Despite how hard these aspects of my life have been for me over the past 21 months, they do not even come close in comparing to how hard it has been for me to adjust to living in a country that adopts corporal punishment so openly.

I cannot count the number of times I have had to get up out of bed to get my ipod to cover up the sound of hapless children crying hysterically as they are being beat. Typically the child will be overtired, and should have been put to sleep hours ago. The teachers in the school where I work frequently hit children who are not paying attention or give a wrong answer with a wooden stick. Students rarely get punished for disruptive or disrespectful behavior, as if this is the case a much bigger stick is used. As long as students do not cringe or cry out in pain I am usually able to keep myself composed. It is when the children flinch, tear up, or worst of all, weep hysterically that I remove myself from the situation to collect my thoughts.

Corporal punishment is a very difficult issue to address, as I believe it is imperative as a Peace Corps volunteer I do not walk into someone else's classroom and tell them how to manage their students or someone's home and tell them how to raise their children. Thankfully, teachers and parents alike do "tone it down" in my presence. Unfortunately, however, the experience of overhearing a piece of wood smacking against the back of a child in the next-door classroom or the sound of a child getting his bottom repeatedly spanked accompanied by his helpless cries are as emotionally draining as witnessing the abuse firsthand. As hard as it is for me to not outwardly contest this blatant maltreatment of children, I feel as though to maintain respect and appreciation from my villagers I must not be "fie-poto" (Tongan word for know-it-all, translation: want to be smart) and try my best to be understanding of cultural differences.

I believe leading by example and demonstrating how other methods of classroom management can be successful and gently encouraging people to go home and put their fussy overtired children to bed I am reducing the number of instances of corporal punishment within my village community without offending anyone or compromising my role. As difficult as it is I have merely accepted that there is a great discrepancy between how I personally believe children should be treated and how Tongans view managing and rearing their children.