TEEN BEATEN FOR USING FACEBOOK *Police to launch investigation into incident

Police to launch investigation into incident

The police say they will be launching an investigation into an incident where a Jamaican woman was videoed viciously beating her daughter for using popular social media platform, Facebook.

The one minute, 13-second video shows the woman beating her adolescent child, whom she calls 'Nyka', all over her body, alternating between a belt and her hand to deliver the mighty blows to the small-framed child.

The enraged mother starts off by pointing her index finger in Nyka's face, while shouting, "Stay off a Facebook!"

The mother then quickly proceeds to slap Nyka on her bottom and mid-section with a belt, while continuing her chant, "Stay off a Facebook! Stay off a Facebook! A dat me tell you! Stay off a Facebook! Mi nuh want you have no Facebook account."

Nyka eventually takes cover in a corner, but that only encouraged the mother to ramp up the intensity of the corporal punishment, as the mother then grabs her by her blouse, followed by slaps to her face, back and head.

The video eventually ends with her dropping the belt then storming off.

When THE STAR contacted the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA), they said they do not have a report of the incident, but will launch an investigation now that it has been brought to their attention.

disciplinary methods

Meanwhile, the Children's Advocate of Jamaica, Diahann Gordon Harrison, has condemned the act as an assault on the child, and is urging parents to find more positive disciplinary methods because physical/aggressive methods can have serious long-term effects.

"Sometimes parents are acting out of anger, not knowing it can have a domino effect and impact the child psychologically, particularly children [like Nyka] who are in their teens where pride, self-esteem and ego are easily bruised," she told THE STAR.

She added that her organisation, the Office of the Children's Advocate (CDA), is attempting to combat the inappropriate use of social media among children by doing an islandwide survey in schools. Following the survey, parents would be supplied with tips on how to appropriately manage their children's social media usage.

Many Facebook users were in agreement with Harrison, as they felt the mother's punishment was uncalled for.

"I hope CDA or the relevant bodies see this and charge this woman. Why not sit the child down and talk with her," one person said.

However, there were those who felt the mother's actions were justified, as another person said, "They say who feels it knows it, and the mother must have reason to be acting like that. Probably I would have acted the same way. My child is my child."