Teachers’ justifications for using corporal punishment in Cameroon secondary schools: contribution to a cycle of violence

Awu Isaac Oben () and Xu Hui ()
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Awu Isaac Oben: Shaanxi Normal University, School of International Studies
Xu Hui: Southwest University, Faculty of Education

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 2025, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Corporal punishment, despite being illegal in Cameroon schools, continues to remain a disciplinary practice, causing unintended harm to victims. Much research has focused on the prevalence of this practice, while little is known about its justification. Knowledge of the perpetrators’ justification can enhance sustainable solutions and its effective discontinuation in schools. This study explored teachers’ justification for using corporal punishment in Cameroon secondary schools. The study employed qualitative research methodology. The participants were 32 teachers from 15 Cameroon secondary schools. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the participants; only secondary school teachers who had once used physical punishment participated in this study. A semi-structured interview guide was used for data collection. The data were analyzed thematically. The study found that teachers’ justification for using corporal punishment includes cultural and personal beliefs; support from some school leaders and parents; to stop aggressive and antisocial behavior; lack of proper training and ignorance of alternative disciplinary methods; and power dynamics and authoritarian control. We argue that “nobody” including teachers has a monopoly over violence, because students will eventually learn to be violent by modeling, socializing, and normalizing it just as their teachers, which fuels a continued inter-generational cycle of violence. Outlawing corporal punishment at school and not at home shows an overlap between the two spaces that children inhabit, allowing one to undermine the other, thereby promoting continuity. We recommend the use of nonviolent disciplinary alternatives and regular teacher training, in effective disciplinary techniques to alter the views of those using corporal punishment.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-05373-y

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