I read this article yesterday about corporal punishment in schools. It had a list of states in which corporal punishment is still legal. North Carolina was on the list – yikes!
Honestly, I didn't think corporal punishment was legal anywhere until I read the article. I mean, it wasn't being used when I was in elementary school in the 1970s, so it really never crossed my mind that it would still be in use today.
Sadly, it still is, though it seems that only a handful of states are the main offenders. I checked into the issue for North Carolina. It is only being used in 10 out of the 115 school districts, so it is really an isolated issue here. Still, legislators need to step up and ban it statewide.
It would be hard to come up with anything more irrational, more cruel, and more disturbing than corporal punishment. Spanking by parents is bad enough, but to have some random teacher striking children? You would think that stuff went out in the 1800s.
Even more disturbing is that corporal punishment is being used disproportionately with disabled children. Spanking a child with a disability – what sort of "teaching" strategy is that? That has to be one of the stupidest things I've ever heard.
Also, the US is way behind the rest of the world on this issue. You can check out this website that shows how many other countries have banned corporal punishment in schools. It's even banned in places like Afganisthan and Mongolia (not even sure where that is!). When Afghanistan is ahead of the US with pro-children policies, you know we are pretty far behind.
I am doing my part contacting state legislators about banning corporal punishment. Hopefully, it is only a matter of time before it is banned here in the state and everywhere else.
It still bothers me that adults seem to be taking a leisurely approach to this, letting it get phased out over time. What about the children who are the victims in all this? Phasing it out over time only serves to placate those who are clearly in the wrong.
And here's a question for these geniuses supporting corporal punishment: how do the other 31 states manage to educate and graduate the children in those states without corporal punishment? Magic tricks? How about just a modern discipline policy – it's not that difficult.
Corporal punishment needs to be ended right now.
Sorry, I’m sure there are plenty of people out there that have
the opposite view than yours…spare the rod and spoil the child…It still works…or at least it used to…
I think you are going a bit over the top with your analysis of it…”educate and graduate children without it?” please…
Hey, I blame the decline of our society…on the lack of it…
I’m saying there is no evidence it is more effective than any other discipline technique, and plenty of evidence that it provides negative effects.
This is why most of the developed world has banned it in schools.
If you include violence in “decline of society”, there is plenty of evidence connecting corporal punishment with future aggressiveness.
Spanking is child abuse. To hit your wife, or just slap, or just pop is wife abuse. To hit your child, tap, spank, beat is all child abuse. Thank you.
This is the main reason why I am choosing to homeschool. I cannot and will not allow my child into an institution where they can legally abuse her and I cannot do anything about it. What kind of mom would willingly hand her child over to people that have the legal right to abuse it? I will not do so. I know better.