KARACHI, Dec 9: Child psychiatrists have advised parents to adhere to extreme restraint while attempting to inculcate discipline among their children as unintended gestures may play havoc with the personality of the kid.

Child psychiatrist Dr Azmaira Hamid, talking to APP here on Sunday, maintained that physical discipline turned problematic when it was used repeatedly or in exaggerated form.

Dr Azmaira said she had come across a large number of parents using hangers, belts, shoes and other objects to discipline their children.

She said slapping, pulling hair, pinching and shoving were also among families and teachers’ repertoire of the child- behaviour management techniques.

The tendency, she said, amounted to making children believe that “violence is OK” ; “I am bigger than you and can use my size to make you do what I want and when I want it” ; “I can not control you verbally so I will use force to control you”; “No one can protect you”.

Since the child absorbs these messages as a victim of usually unpredictable bouts of anger and violence, his or her emotional, social and cognitive development are feared to be severely affected, often manifested through lack of self-confidence, low self-esteem, poor academic performance, apart from other physical and medical symptoms.

Many children are also found to turn extremely aggressive or clinically depressed besides showing post traumatic stress disorders.—APP