Child disciplinary practices – Experiences of low-income women in Botswana

Abstract

The Botswana Children’s Act of 2009, African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child call for child protection. However, children continue to be exposed to disciplinary practices that do not conform to these legal frameworks. They are exposed to practices that negatively impact on child welfare and development. Using data from a qualitative study, the paper explores disciplinary practices that 15 low-income women were exposed to in their childhood in their homes. Face to face narrative interviews were used. The findings indicate that in the primary socialization setting, common disciplinary practices included violent physical and psychological discipline. Based on the African Ubuntu perspective, the findings illustrate that there was no sympathetic social relations between the women and their guardians. The paper concludes by providing recommendations such as provision of education, school social work and change in the law to promote child protection, children’s rights and positive child development.