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According to Thai police, Hello Kitty has become the new disciplinary tool for officers found engaging in inappropriate behavior. They’ll be required to wear bright pink Hello Kitty armbands. So what might these inappropriate behaviors be you ask?

• officers who speak too aggressively to civilians
• who fail to turn off their engines when they park their cars
• commit other minor violations of proper conduct

The hope is to create a sense of shame so the officers will refrain from such behaviors. On the surface, this tactic may seem silly and a waste of time. But if you take a look at the psychological effects associated with shame, you’d agree that the Thai police have really tapped into something. In fact, this type of discipline could potentially have long-term negative effects.

Shame is often experienced as the inner, critical voice that judges whatever we do as wrong, inferior, or worthless…shame is often unbearable. Marc Miller, noted clinical psychologist and author, states ‘we may equate shame with being worthless, unlovable, unredeemable, or cut-off from humanity. Shame strikes deepest into the heart of man…. shame is felt as inner torment, a sickness of the soul….the humiliated one feels himself naked, defeated, alienated, lacking in dignity and worth.’