Reflecting on my early school days in a quaint little town, I can vividly recall the fear that loomed over students who found themselves in trouble. When kids were sent to the principal’s office, it was often whispered about with a mix of dread and curiosity. The questions that followed, like “Did you get paddled?” or “How many hits did you take?” always made me cringe. Even back then, it felt fundamentally wrong, and as a parent of an almost 8-year-old, I can’t fathom a school administrator ever striking my child, let alone with a wooden paddle. In our household, we don’t even believe in spanking, so the thought of such punishment in an educational setting is utterly unacceptable.
Living in a state where corporal punishment is banned, I mistakenly thought this archaic practice was a thing of the past everywhere. Sadly, I was mistaken. A shocking twenty-two states still permit corporal punishment in schools, with fifteen allowing it explicitly and seven lacking any prohibitive rules. You might think it’s rarely used, but the U.S. Department of Education reported an alarming 166,807 students were subjected to physical punishment in just the 2011–12 school year.
Corporal punishment is defined by the National Association of School Psychologists as the intentional infliction of pain or discomfort on a student to correct or punish behavior. Leading medical organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics have long advocated for a complete ban on corporal punishment, citing its detrimental effects on children’s self-esteem and academic performance. The reality is, such methods do not effectively improve behavior. I certainly didn’t behave in school out of fear of punishment; I did so out of respect for my teachers and the values instilled in me at home.
Moreover, the statistics reveal a troubling reality: minorities are disproportionately affected by corporal punishment. According to the Brookings Institution, Black children face physical punishment at twice the rate of their white peers. This disparity is further exacerbated in states like Mississippi, Texas, and Alabama, where a significant number of corporal punishment incidents occur. Even students with disabilities are often victims of this outdated practice, as highlighted in an ACLU report.
So, who believes this is an acceptable practice? U.S. Education Secretary Michael Carter has recently called for all states to abolish corporal punishment, noting the hypocrisy of allowing such actions in schools while they would be deemed criminal assault if applied to adults in the same states. It’s time for the twenty-two states still permitting corporal punishment to take heed.
Schools should be nurturing environments where children acquire academic, social, and behavioral skills. Resorting to violence is neither appropriate nor effective for addressing behavioral issues. As Secretary Carter stated, “This practice has no place in the public schools of a modern nation that plays such an essential role in the advancement and protection of civil and human rights.” It’s high time we retire the paddles, step away from violence against children, and embrace modern discipline techniques. For more insights on this topic, check out our post on the intricacies of corporal punishment.
In summary, we must recognize that corporal punishment is not just an outdated practice; it’s fundamentally harmful to our children. As we move forward, we should advocate for more humane and effective methods of discipline in our schools.