Cultural differences in child discipline: China's approach to parenting

Violence Against Children in China

Children in China often face a plethora of issues. The culture there is conducive of violence against children as a form of punishment. Many people in China believe that physical or psychological abuse is necessary to help their children mature and learn responsibility. However, many of these acts are in violation of human rights in general and especially the declaration of human rights for children. There are other issues that Chinese children must also face such as the lack of an adequate education. Some children, especially in rural areas, are being forced to quit school and work on their families' farms or in factories. Some children are even being sold as slaves to perform manual labor on the black market. Although every country has their own issues with the treatment of children, in China the problem is salient and more prevalent than in other parts of the world. Some of these conditions can be attributed to the culture while others have to do with the economic conditions and the poverty that rural Chinese families face. This analysis will look at some of the issues of violence and neglect that are present in China today.

Background/History

There are many forms of violence that can be perpetrated against children. Violence against children encompasses physical, emotional, psychological and sexual mistreatment, as well as neglect; globally, as well as in China, this problem often remains hidden because families tend to view violence against children as a "private issue. (Unicef)." Because in China the treatment of children is often considered a family affair, most cases of abuse go unreported. The occurrences of child abuse are widespread but only the most serious cases ever get reported. "The embarrassing situation is that, only when the victim is badly hurt or killed could the perpetrator of the violence be criminally prosecuted," said Tong Lihua, director of a Beijing-based child protection advocacy group. "Right now, we lack a mechanism for protecting children from violence by their parents. (Jiali)"

Figure 1 - Zhengyin - a Chinese Child with over 100 Knife Wounds (Jiali)

The physical abuse is an obvious problem as well as a violation of human rights. However, there are more subtle issues that are also present that are even more common. Chinese parents can be so strict with their children that it borders on abuse; if not crosses the line altogether. "In the Chinese culture we believe in very strict, disciplined parenting," Grace Ho a doctoral candidate at John Hopkins explains the cultural differences as "We really want to foster obedience and harmony, emotional restraint, respect. But looking at Western literature, the focuses are parental warmth, independence. So it's very different. (Intlekofter)" Therefore, even though the Chinese culture embraces strict disciplinary measures, there is a fine line that definitely boarders abuse and this represents one of the most debatable issues in the raising of children in the Eastern and Western cultures.

Opposing Arguments

Many people have defended the Chinese culture and the right of the parent's to raise their children as they wish. Although there are few that promote extreme physical punishment, there are mainstream authors that have promoted the benefits of the strict environment children are raised in countries like China. The most popular author is Amy Chua, the Chinese-American "Tiger Mom" who infamously wrote a how-to guide to child-rearing advising parents to threaten to burn their kids' stuffed animals if their homework wasn't perfect (Garvin). Arguments such as these suggest that parents must be extraordinarily tough to encourage their children to do their absolute best.

Rebuttal

The advice given by Chua and others that believe in the similar ways of raising children has been shown to be ineffective in many studies. One such study in the Asian-American Journal of Psychology shows that the opposite is rather the case (Pedro):

'Tiger parenting, which owes its existence to the belief that "academic achievement reflects successful parenting" (Chua, 2011), ironically does not result in the best educational attainment or the best academic achievement; instead, it results in children experiencing a level of academic pressure that is as high as that associated with harsh parenting. It is actually supportive parenting, not tiger parenting, which is associated with the best developmental outcomes: low academic pressure, high GPA, high educational attainment, low depressive symptoms, low parent -- child alienation, and high family obligation.'

This study and many others suggest that a loving and supportive environment for children is superior to the harsh punishment avenue.

Conclusion

This analysis looked at some of the problems with the treatment of children in China. There is a prevalence of physical abuse in China is startling but much of it goes unreported because of the cultural beliefs of the population. Only the extreme cases are reported or the children that have to visit the hospital are sometimes reported by the physicians. This is an obvious problem and the CRC should escalate their efforts in China to better protect children's human rights. Furthermore, even without the extreme physical abuse, there is a prevailing cultural notion that parents have to be excessively strict with their children to push them to do their best. Although this idea has been widely published, research shows that it is not the best approach to take with children. The research indicates that a loving and stress free environment is the one that generally will promote the best academic performance.