Czech family in the early 21st century - an attitude to the punishment of children

The topic of this bachelor?s thesis is A Czech family at the beginning of the 21st century ? the attitude to punishment of children. The theoretical part deals with the characteristics of a family and its functions. It also includes a historical outline which summarises the development of family since the Middle Ages till present day. The next chapter concerns upbringing and the styles and models thereof. The chapter that describes methods of upbringing is divided into two parts; it covers reward as well as punishment, both physical and psychological and the thin line which separates harmless punishment from abuse. Another essential part of this thesis focuses on crucial documents and the effort to legally protect children. The last chapter compares using physical and psychological punishment and their consequences. The aim of this thesis is to find out how the selected generations, within the framework of the family, view punishment as a component of traditional upbringing. This thesis uses qualitative research. The researched objects are represented by multi-generation families (parents and grandparents). To find out the necessary information, a structured semi-stanradised interview was used. Parents and grandparents from 3 different families from Třebíč were asked about their opinions on upbringing and their views on children punishment.The results of the research confirmed that present-day parents have not, to a large degree, deflected from the methods of their parents. Therefore, the most commonly used practice is inflicting punishment, including that of a physical nature. The respondents also disagree with the proposed change of law that would prohibit punishment as they appear to fear that it would eventually lead to excessive democracy and parents would lose control over their children. The work could serve for professionals who deal with the issue of punishment of children