Perceptions of guardians of children towards government’s decision to outlaw corporal punishment: A case study of Highfield suburb in Harare, Zimbabwe
- Authors: Shayamano , Molly
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Corporal punishment of children Children's rights
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSW
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/17641 , vital:41131
- Description: Corporal punishment is a behaviour modification technique that has been utilised since time immemorial. Much interest in today’s world is centred on understanding and utilising the most effective discipline techniques. Many human rights activists and researchers are pointing out the negatives of corporal punishment. As such, human rights activists are pushing for the banning of all forms of corporal punishment of children. This study explored guardians’ perceptions towards the government’s decision to outlaw corporal punishment in Highfield in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital. The social construction theory by Berger and Luckman (1966) and the Operant conditioning theory by Skinner (1956) were utilised to underpin the study. The study adopted a mixed method approach in which focus group discussions, key informant interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data. The study results reveal that guardians in Highfield hold different sentiments with regard to the government’s decision to outlaw corporal punishment. The majority of guardians view the decision as a bad move that will result in negative consequences, whereas another group of guardians supports the decision. The study also reveals that the government’s decision to outlaw corporal punishment has both positive and negative consequences, which include delinquent behaviour, high crime rates, disrespect of elders, moral decay, decreased violence, increased communication between parents and children, and reduced child abuse cases. The study also found that social workers working closely with children and their families also have a role to play in ensuring positive behaviour modification. The study recommends the introduction of community programs on positive parenting in communities, initiated and strengthened by social workers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Shayamano , Molly
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Corporal punishment of children Children's rights
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSW
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/17641 , vital:41131
- Description: Corporal punishment is a behaviour modification technique that has been utilised since time immemorial. Much interest in today’s world is centred on understanding and utilising the most effective discipline techniques. Many human rights activists and researchers are pointing out the negatives of corporal punishment. As such, human rights activists are pushing for the banning of all forms of corporal punishment of children. This study explored guardians’ perceptions towards the government’s decision to outlaw corporal punishment in Highfield in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital. The social construction theory by Berger and Luckman (1966) and the Operant conditioning theory by Skinner (1956) were utilised to underpin the study. The study adopted a mixed method approach in which focus group discussions, key informant interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data. The study results reveal that guardians in Highfield hold different sentiments with regard to the government’s decision to outlaw corporal punishment. The majority of guardians view the decision as a bad move that will result in negative consequences, whereas another group of guardians supports the decision. The study also reveals that the government’s decision to outlaw corporal punishment has both positive and negative consequences, which include delinquent behaviour, high crime rates, disrespect of elders, moral decay, decreased violence, increased communication between parents and children, and reduced child abuse cases. The study also found that social workers working closely with children and their families also have a role to play in ensuring positive behaviour modification. The study recommends the introduction of community programs on positive parenting in communities, initiated and strengthened by social workers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
Uninformed medical intervention as a violation of the rights to dignity, bodily integrity and privacy in South Africa
- Authors: Silas, Patience Oluchi
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Medical personnel and patient Human rights
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LAW
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16862 , vital:40780
- Description: South African society has changed from one that favoured medical paternalism to one that demands respect for patient autonomy. Some legislative provisions currently require respect for human rights in the sphere of medical treatment. These laws vest patients with the right to informed consent thereby conferring them with the rights to decide what should be done to their bodies in terms of healthcare. Irrespective of the laws emphasising the need to respect, protect and promote the doctrine of informed consent in South Africa, so many health practitioners still engage in uninformed healthcare practices. This study, therefore, examines the doctrine of informed consent in relation to the fundamental rights to bodily integrity, dignity and privacy to ascertain the legal implications of the failure to obtain informed consent for healthcare services. It is desktop research undertaken from the constitutional, legislative, common law and ethical perspective of informed consent. Its findings are based on both primary and secondary legal sources. It established that informed consent is a fundamental right in South Africa; rendering any healthcare service without obtaining the informed consent of a patient does not only breach the fundamental and ethical principle of autonomy, but also grossly violates their fundamental rights to dignity, bodily integrity and privacy. The study clears the age-long differing views as to whether failure to obtain informed consent before medical interventions amounts to an assault, negligence or the violation of some specific fundamental rights. It reveals that the major reason why health practitioners administer uninformed medical treatment in contemporary health practice is insufficient awareness of the legal requirements of the doctrine of informed consent. This is coupled with the fact that they believe the doctrine is alien to the African psyche and the process of obtaining informed consent is time-consuming. It thus recommends that health practitioners should have a positive attitude towards the doctrine because having been entrenched in the Constitution, codified in various national laws and upheld by Courts, every legal stipulation regarding the doctrine is binding on them. It also suggests that health practitioners should be abreast with the laws governing informed consent and strictly comply with their substantive and procedural stipulations. This would protect the fundamental rights of the patient and avert legal actions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Silas, Patience Oluchi
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Medical personnel and patient Human rights
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LAW
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16862 , vital:40780
- Description: South African society has changed from one that favoured medical paternalism to one that demands respect for patient autonomy. Some legislative provisions currently require respect for human rights in the sphere of medical treatment. These laws vest patients with the right to informed consent thereby conferring them with the rights to decide what should be done to their bodies in terms of healthcare. Irrespective of the laws emphasising the need to respect, protect and promote the doctrine of informed consent in South Africa, so many health practitioners still engage in uninformed healthcare practices. This study, therefore, examines the doctrine of informed consent in relation to the fundamental rights to bodily integrity, dignity and privacy to ascertain the legal implications of the failure to obtain informed consent for healthcare services. It is desktop research undertaken from the constitutional, legislative, common law and ethical perspective of informed consent. Its findings are based on both primary and secondary legal sources. It established that informed consent is a fundamental right in South Africa; rendering any healthcare service without obtaining the informed consent of a patient does not only breach the fundamental and ethical principle of autonomy, but also grossly violates their fundamental rights to dignity, bodily integrity and privacy. The study clears the age-long differing views as to whether failure to obtain informed consent before medical interventions amounts to an assault, negligence or the violation of some specific fundamental rights. It reveals that the major reason why health practitioners administer uninformed medical treatment in contemporary health practice is insufficient awareness of the legal requirements of the doctrine of informed consent. This is coupled with the fact that they believe the doctrine is alien to the African psyche and the process of obtaining informed consent is time-consuming. It thus recommends that health practitioners should have a positive attitude towards the doctrine because having been entrenched in the Constitution, codified in various national laws and upheld by Courts, every legal stipulation regarding the doctrine is binding on them. It also suggests that health practitioners should be abreast with the laws governing informed consent and strictly comply with their substantive and procedural stipulations. This would protect the fundamental rights of the patient and avert legal actions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
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