CORPORAL punishment instills fear in children and correct behaviour forged through fear will only last as long as the fear exists.
This was the view of Save the Children Fiji chief executive officer Chandra Shekhar at a positive discipline workshop held in Lautoka yesterday.
Mr Shekhar said corporal punishment was a short-term measure that required constant policing.
Positive discipline, on the other hand, was a long term process that had long term positive effects, he said.
"Corporal punishment inflicts fear and once you bring about a change in behaviour through fear, that behaviour will be correct as long as the fear exists," he said.
"As soon as the fear is gone, the behaviour reverts back to where it was.
"So corporal punishment is based on fear instilled on children where if they do something wrong, they are afraid of getting a beating or getting physical punishment.
"But instead if a child commits not to behave in an unruly manner and commits to being a better citizen, that behaviour will be a lasting behaviour, we will not need anyone to police our children."
Mr Shekhar said there were many in society that believed that corporal punishment was the only effective answer to changing children's behaviour.
But, he stressed that it was important that these people recognised that it was a short-term solution that did not teach children proper values and morals.