Mental Health Experts Warn: Corporal Punishment Harms Students

16 January, 2026

Mental health experts have warned against calls to reintroduce corporal punishment following the release of the 2025 national exam results. They say physical punishment does not improve academic performance and instead causes long-term harm. Research links corporal punishment to higher risks of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, aggression, and poor learning outcomes. Experts are urging schools and families to adopt positive discipline and parenting approaches, stressing that violence is not an effective way to support children’s education or development. Here is Windhoek-based Psychologist Dr. Shaun Whittaker.

ENG Shaun Whittaker corporal