Iran Malfitano caused controversy when she spoke about her daughter’s education in “A Fazenda”. The actor said during an argument that he hits his daughter and that he is the head of his family, in a conversation with participant Pétala, who disagreed with the settings.
“I hit my daughter. Don’t hit yours. I had this discussion with other friends. I’m responsible for my family,” he explained, hitting his chest. The conversation started because he disagreed with the behavior of another contestant on the reality show. “If it was my daughter, I would get a slap in the face.” The actor is the father of Laura, 11 years old.
For Nanda Perim, a psychologist specializing in parental intelligence and advocate for democratic parenting, this behavior is not conducive to child development and can impact adult behavior alongside trauma.
Iran Malfitano says if she were his daughter he would hit her on the mouth. Pearl says she doesn’t agree. He says that he is in charge of his house and that he hits.
I am against it and you?
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“Trauma isn’t always the worst consequence. Those who do say the caning is easy to startle. But it lasts for life and can lead to an adult who is afraid to show themselves, who are always under threat sees their relationships as making them feel like they have to defend themselves all the time,” says Nanda. This child may either have an explosive personality or be more repressed out of fear.
“Our brain is a machine that recognizes danger and switches to survival mode when necessary. The person does not even realize that this behavior is a result of the violence they have suffered at home. And it’s not about a beaten child, it’s about who was beaten,” explains Nanda.
“Beating does not educate”
If hitting is frightening, this upbringing only teaches the child not to make any mistakes in order not to be hit. Because of fear, she does not develop cognitive skills to learn to deal with life’s problems.
“Beating does not educate. The child must learn emotional life skills, know social rules, know themselves, control their impulses and emotions. And that depends on neurological cognitive development, which progresses more intensively until the age of 12,” it says there.
According to the specialist, if the child is afraid of making mistakes, the child does not learn because they do not develop these other functions.
“I defend the democratic education that is being discussed. Of course, I’m the adult and I’ll explain things the child doesn’t know and make decisions on subjects they don’t yet understand. But it helps to understand the development of this child. “Because he grows up with decisionmaking power,” says Nanda. Even if he disagrees with his parents, he will politely do it, he explains.
It’s a crime?
Under Brazilian law, hitting a child, whether as a form of correction or not, is a crime.
“The use of violence against children or young people, whether as a means of ‘correction’ or not, is prohibited under Brazilian law. The Children and Youth Act makes it clear that they have the right to be brought up and cared for without corporal punishment. or cruel or degrading treatment, as forms of correction, disciplining, education or any other pretext,” says Amanda Bessoni Boudoux Salgado, PhD in Criminal Law at the Law School of the University of São Paulo (USP) and Criminal Attorney at Alamiro Velludo Salvador Netto Attorneys.
Within the Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA), corporal punishment has been referred to as the “Spanking Law” since its inception in 2014. Amanda explains that the definition is “an action of a disciplinary or punitive nature taken through the use of physical force against the child or young person that results in physical suffering or injury.”
“The Criminal Code provides offenses such as assault and illtreatment, the latter when the life or health of any person under his care, guarding or surveillance is put at risk, including the misuse of any means of law enforcement or disciplining. This crime is punishable by imprisonment from two months to one year or a fine. In the case of serious bodily harm, the penalty increases to imprisonment from one to four years. Even in the event of death, the penalty is imprisonment from four to twelve years.” concludes the lawyer.