The Impact of School Punishment on Students’ Social Development: A Research Study

Children are the foundation of the future worldwide. This research was conducted across six sub-districts within three divisions of Bangladesh. It involved a field survey of 1,114 individuals selected from 60 primary schools. Pupils were divided into two groups after selection via a sociometric technique. Group 1, which exhibited misbehavior and poor academic performance, received more severe punishment, while Group 2 was subjected to less punishment, behaved better, and achieved better academic results. Data were collected using both open-ended and closed-ended questionnaires during interviews. The respondents, all in fifth grade, ranged in age from 9 to 15 years. Of these, 52.4% (584) were girls and 47.6% (530) were boys. According to students’ reports, 98.7% experienced punishment at school. Teachers punished students in various ways: 24.6% received a beating, 21% were made to stand with their ears open, 16.35% received warnings and reprimands, and 9.81% received dusters, among others. Girls received less punishment (15.25%) than boys (84.5%). Most students reported that their female teachers (51.1%) imposed more punishment than their male teachers (48.90%). Students were disciplined for different offenses; the most common, at 21.5%, was failing to complete coursework. When children are punished, they often feel mentally upset and unhappy. Based on the discussion in Table 01 and Figure 07, it can be concluded that the social development of children who receive more punishment is lower than that of children who receive less. The study’s hypothesis has been confirmed.