The go-to “lazy parenting” handbook for most African parents involves deploying violence against their children when trying to correct them. In almost any instance, African parents believe that immense flogging and extreme measures that clearly crosses the line into child abuse is the easiest way to get ‘results’. Proof of this is seen in a viral Instablog video depicting a Nigerian father flogging his 18-year-old daughter mercilessly. The crime committed? The daughter reportedly joined a group chat that she was told not to join. 

 

Nigerian dad flogs his 18-year-old daughter for joining a group chat he warned her against pic.twitter.com/iiWnTaAoGQ

— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) July 18, 2020

 

As expected, some Nigerians have camped in the comment section; stating that it is the right of the parent to flog her as such and that “woke” twitter should not speak against the expected discipline of a child. Some also reached for the usual argument that the parent pays for her needs, pays her school fees and as such has the right to do with her as they deem fit. 

Per usual, some set of woke keypad warriors will outrightly condemn this act. ‘’He shouldn’t be flogging her cause she’s 18 yen yen yen’’. Daddy wa e bo legba, next time she’d learn to adhere to simple instruction

— KEL. (@unclemidetush) July 18, 2020

She's 18, so her dad shouldn't discipline her abi? If she joins bad gang now, you will be the first to shout; "She lacks home training and not properly brought up"

Awon woke twitter. https://t.co/TBpCy3yxDE

— MykeFit™ (@MykeFit) July 19, 2020

You condemned a father for not beating his 21 years old boy who didn’t sit for exam after paying $21k.

You are also condemning a father flogging his daughter because she’s 18.

For African parents, discipling you is not age bound. The nature might change as you age.

— Tosin Olugbenga (@TosinOlugbenga) July 19, 2020

She's 18 but he pays her school fees, at 18 he feeds and houses her, but y'all woke keypad warriors feel she can disobey her father without consequences?? You are out of your mind!! This is very ok!!!! pic.twitter.com/jLLSBHgOo0

— OONI OF ABUJA? (@Deji_OoniAbj) July 19, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

Some went on to share their personal experiences, narrating that they were also beaten past 18 years of age and as such this incidence was “normal”.

“She’s 18” make una let me hear word! I chop cane until I grew beards

— Duke of Africa (@Allezamani) July 19, 2020

She’s 18 so dem no fit beat am? Me that is still receiving steady reset slap at 20 ???

— FEMI (@BrodaFemo) July 19, 2020

 

 

 

On the opposing fence, “woke twitter” reference contemporary research that faults the violence as discipline approach to child rearing. The Twitter users pointed out that the girl was an adult and should be treated as such, going further to state that an 18-year-old is past the age of being flogged. 

 

She's 18…if you cannot trust her to sift through all the information on social media by herself, maybe you just didn't do a good job in the first place. https://t.co/vz7zyFAHcw

— Shakira Salman (@salman_shakira) July 19, 2020

 

Some also emphasized that if at this age, the parents couldn’t trust her decision making, then it was a reflection of the poor job they’ve done training her. Others also called out the fact that the offence does not correlate with the punishment, espousing that the kind of beating she was receiving just because she “joined a group chat” was terrible. They pointed out that it would only backfire and teach the girl to hide things better. 

 

You know that 18year old girl will just come up with a strategy to be better at hiding things lol.

— PeterRock & WebsiteDesign (@PeterROCK_) July 19, 2020

That video of that 18 year old woman’s father beating her is why “normalise beating you’re parents” starts to sound normal. What is that nonsense? For joining a group chat?

— Jola (@Jollz) July 19, 2020

Sars will stop you on the road. You'll try having a dialogue with them but they'll start slapping you and hitting you. What they are doing is wrong.

But you an adult will think it's ok to beat an 18 year old adult when you can talk to them.

— PeterRock & WebsiteDesign (@PeterROCK_) July 19, 2020

 

 

 

Time and time again, we see Nigerian parents, generally African parents, administer painful, torturous acts on their children, labelling it discipline whereas its just cruelty and abuse. When would we learn to stop lazy parenting and adopt other healthy options in raising our kids?