Michael Otieno still remembers the sting of the cane. Not just on his hands, but on his sense of self. In his primary school in western Kenya, the cane was as common as a blackboard.
"If you were late, you were caned. If you forgot your homework, you were caned. It wasn't about teaching; it was about instilling fear," the 32-year-old Nairobi accountant tells TRT Afrika.
"That fear didn't make me a better student. It made me anxious. It made me believe that violence was the first solution to a problem. It took me years of unlearning to put this behind me."
Otieno isn't the only one to carry the scars of corporal punishment into adulthood. According to a new World Health Organisation (WHO) report – "Corporal Punishment of Children: The Public Health Impact" – physical punishment in the name of correcting children remains alarmingly common and inflicts lasting damage on their health and development.
Widespread malaise
The study reveals that an estimated 1.2 billion children worldwide face physical punishment at home each year.
African nations are no exception, with parent-reported rates showing 77% of children in Togo and 64% in Sierra Leone in the age group 2-14 were subjected to corporal punishment in the month before the survey.
Schools purportedly offer no escape. The study shows that 70% of children across Africa experience corporal punishment during the course of their school education.
"There is now overwhelming scientific evidence that corporal punishment carries multiple risks to the health of children," says Etienne Krug, Director of WHO's department for health determinants. "It offers no benefits to the behaviour, development or well-being of children, and no benefit to parents or societies either. It's time to end this harmful practice."
Lasting damage
The WHO report details how corporal punishment triggers harmful biological responses, including heightened stress hormones and changes in brain structure and function. There is scientific evidence that children exposed to such punishment are 24% less likely to be developmentally on track than peers who haven't faced it.
Mental health is affected, too, with increased risks of anxiety, depression and low self-esteem that often persist well into adulthood.
Childcare worker Adeola Okonkwo, who works in Nigeria's Lagos, routinely counsels parents to adopt alternative methods of enforcing discipline.
"The argument is always, 'I was beaten and I turned out fine'," says Okonkwo. "But did we? So many of us are carrying hidden wounds that are reflected in how quickly we respond to situations with anger, our inability to express emotions, and a deep-seated need for approval. We confuse respect with fear. We are breaking our children's spirit and calling it discipline."
Breaking the cycle
The WHO study confirms what was perhaps always known but overlooked – that children who are hit are more likely to become adults who do the same, normalising violence as an acceptable negative response.
These children are also known to show progressively aggressive behaviour and a higher likelihood of violent or criminal conduct later in life.
Although many African nations have banned corporal punishment in schools, the study states that legislation alone isn't enough to remove entrenched beliefs about how children should be disciplined at home and in class.
WHO specifies that legislation must be supplemented with awareness campaigns and professional support for parents and teachers.
For those like Otieno, the study serves as a validation of what they have felt but have found hard to express due to societal conditioning.
"We must ask ourselves what we are truly teaching our children," he tells TRT Afrika.
"Are we teaching them right from wrong, or are we teaching them that power justifies violence? Ending this isn't about disrespecting our culture; it's about choosing a healthier, smarter future for the next generation. The science is clear. The harm is real. The time for change is now."
