“Malicious to the skin” The internalisation of corporal punishment as a teaching and a disciplinary tool among South African teachers

ABSTRACT

Corporal punishment has been legally banned in South Africa. However, anecdotal evidence suggests the prevalence of the practice in schools two decades after this legislative banning. Using the cultural-historical activity theory framework, this article qualitatively explores why teachers continue to use or believe in this method as a disciplinary tool. This study is based on interviews which emanated out of the individual and group interviews of 22 teachers and four retired teachers at a primary school in Mpumalanga province of South Africa. Findings suggest that the internalisation of childhood interpsychological processes related to discipline and experiences of corporal punishment account for the current manifestation of the phenomenon.

Conflict of interest

The author declares no conflict of interest.

Notes

1. A woven leather strap attached to a stick, usually used on animals to herd them.