And what, exactly, is wrong with this?
There's definitely some psychology at work here, but it's hardly abuse.
Update: and why am I so horrified by this punishment? Is it because this was done by a principal, as opposed to a parent, as was the case in the first example? I'd be distressed even if the child had stolen the money, so that's not why this particular situation frosts me so much.
I love it....
ReplyDeleteHad to think about a guy I saw in Tucson in 1993....his sign said "Why should I lie, I want a beer"...I couldn't make it over in time to give some cash...in both cases you have something refresing...honesty!
And as far as that first story goes, it was the last comment in the article that got to me. Yes, I agree that rewarding good behavior is effective, but I hardly think that it will address the negative behavior. What this parent did might be a little drastic, but in a world where teenagers need constant stimulation and then for any subsequent stimulation to outdo the previous, I think this succeeds.
ReplyDeleteMakes one thankful that we live in the US and not somewhere like, oh, say, France, where punishing children is a crime. But I guess that is a different comment for a different post. =)