Michigan mom Christina Maze has made it quite clear that she does not condone clowning in class, and if her two sons were unaware of her sentiments, they definitely know now! According to My Fox Detroit , the single mom reportedly reached her breaking point and decided to do something about her sons’ horrible behavior. Apparently the two boys — ages 8 and 7 — have a history of clowning in class, and their unruly behavior has reportedly become a problem at home, as well.
Maze recently came up with a “creative” form of punishment to reprimand the boys for their behavior. She reportedly believes in “public humiliation.” Now, her epic punishment has gone viral. The two boys were reportedly forced to stand in their front yard and hold up signs detailing their shortcomings and bad behavior.
Their controversial signs read, “I’m a wild boy. I’m hardheaded. I don’t listen. Look at us!,” and “I’m a class clown.” However, that’s not all. The boys have also received the infamous “George Jefferson” haircuts for their actions. So, in addition to holding up the embarrassing signs, they also have patches of hair missing from their heads.
The punishment caught the attention of a local news station, which led to an interview with Maze and her two sons. The boys shared their reactions to holding the signs. Although they expressed feelings of embarrassment and sadness, Maze shared a different perspective. Based on her response, she believes her form of punishment isn’t so strenuous compared death or imprisonment.
“I would rather them be embarrassed and straighten up, then getting into fights and going to jail, killing somebody… We live in a hard city.”
The news report has caught the attention of thousands online, as well. Now, social media users are weighing in with their opinion of public humiliation as a form of punishment.
Maze’s perspective has sparked quite a debate online. Although many parents have commended Maze for taking the initiative to discipline her sons, of course, there are some who aren’t too pleased with the epic punishment. An overwhelming number of readers have actually accused Maze of publicly shaming and humiliating her sons, while others do not see the purpose or effectiveness of the lesson.
According to Opposing Views , psychiatric studies show humiliating punishments can have potentially harmful long-term effects on children. “Public humiliation never works,” Dr. Gerald Shiener said. “It makes the child angry and the kid holds you responsible instead of reflecting on his own behavior. A lot of times bad behavior is attention seeking and whatever is going on, it sounds like these kids are getting a whole lot of attention,” Shiener explained. “And maybe that is what they want, they don’t know how to get it any other way.”
Do you think the mom was wrong for the class clown punishment? Is public humiliation an effective form of punishment? Share your thoughts.
[Image(s) via YouTube Screen Captures]