Corporal Punishment

Introduction

Corporal punishment dates back in United States history to colonial times when children were physically punished for misbehaving in school (Corporal Punishment in Schools 1). It is a form of discipline still used in schools today in a number of states throughout the United States. In education, corporal punishment is defined as “the infliction of pain by a teacher or other educational official upon the body of a student as a penalty for doing something which has been disapproved by the punisher” (Corporal Punishment 1). There are different forms of corporal punishment used that are harmful to the body including slapping, choking, pinching, and hitting. Hitting is done either with or without the use of an object such as a wooden paddle (Corporal Punishment in Schools 1). Although many states still use this as a means of discipline, corporal punishment is not an effective method to control behaviors of students in schools. There are many negative effects that can result from physical discipline and there are also many other methods that would be more successful in teaching children right from wrong without inflicting physical harm or pain.

Background

Corporal punishment had been banned in countries such as Europe, Central and South America, China, Japan, and also three African countries. In the United States twenty-seven states and also the District of Columbia have completely banned corporal punishment from their schools (NCACPS: Black Students 1). However, there are thirty states that still resort to corporal punishment as a form of discipline. During the 1986 to 1987 school year one million cases of physical punishment were reported. Out of the million cases, an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 children were in need of medical attention due to the extent of the punishment. Statistics show that the majority of the states who allow corporal punishment today are located in the south and southeast (Corporal Punishment in Schools 2). Texas in particular has an exceptionally high corporal punishment rate with over 3,000 cases of paddling reported each month in 1973 (4). Studies prove that common risk factors for children who are most likely to be physically punished. According to the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, in the 1997 to 1998 school year there were over 135,000 cases of abuse to black students and under 200,000 cases to white students, although, the ratio to blacks and whites in schools is much lower (NCACPS: Black Students 1).

In Schools

According to the Society for Adolescent Medicine, corporal punishment has not been proven as an effective method to punish children.

Physically punishing children has never been shown to enhance moral character development, increase the student's respect for teachers or other authority figures in general, intensify the teacher's control in class, or even protect the teacher (Corporal Punishment in Schools 5).

Psychological Effects

The states that are allowing corporal punishment to continue are doing more harm to their children than anything else. According to Erik Erikson's stages of development the most important stage in a school age child's life is trust versus mistrust (Corporal ...