To be honest, I thought corporal punishment was a thing of the past. However, CNN reports today that more than 200,000 children have been spanked or paddled in U.S. schools during the past year, according to human rights groups.
Apparently this form of discipline is still legal in 21 states. 13 practice it regularly.
Alice Farmer is among those who oppose the practice altogether:
“Every public school needs effective methods of discipline, but beating kids teaches violence, and it doesn’t stop bad behavior,” wrote Alice Farmer, the author of a joint report from Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union. “Corporal punishment discourages learning, fails to deter future misbehavior and at times even provokes it.”
James Dobson, however, isn’t so comprehensive in his denunciation. He believes spanking can be effective with younger students:
“Corporal punishment is not effective at the junior and senior high school levels, and I do not recommend its application,” Dobson said on the organization’s Web site.
“It can be useful for elementary students, especially with amateur clowns (as opposed to hard-core troublemakers). For this reason, I am opposed to abolishing spanking in elementary schools because we have systematically eliminated the tools with which teachers have traditionally backed up their word. We’re now down to a precious few. Let’s not go any further in that direction.”
What do you think? Is spanking an effective means of discipline in school, or should physical punishment be left to the parents’ discretion? Were any of you — I mean, were any of your friends — ever spanked at school?
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August 20, 2008 at 1:52 pm
davehess
Good post. I had no idea that there were so many places where corporal punishment was used either.
I think corporal punishment in public schools is a tough issue.
I believe that both education and discipline are more the parents direct responsibility for their child than it is the government’s responsibility. It seems that many would like to delegate one to the government without delegating the other.
It isn’t working. Our public schools are a mess, and there is a lack of ability to really enforce any kind of discipline which leads to increasingly ineffective classrooms. I don’t like the idea of having a school principle or teacher paddle my child any more than the next person, but as a last resort I think it should be allowed. Otherwise teachers are always left trying to bluff their students into submission and obedience which only works for so long.
I am convinced that in many schools if teachers or administrators had that authority to paddle and did so with a couple of the most undisciplined students that they wouldn’t have to use it very much from that point on because they have showed that they have the ability to do so if needed. The result of this combined with other effective teaching methods would likely be more effective schools.
August 21, 2008 at 2:24 am
Keri Rosen
Spanking was permitted in my elementary school in the ’50s and the paddle held a prominent place in our classroom. The fact that it was used sparingly, but was used, kept us pretty much in line. However, when I had finally offended enough to earn a spanking, my male fifth-grade teacher struck the back of a chair and told me to yell! Then, of course, he told me not to tell - which I didn’t ( or not until junior high, anyway).
I didn’t become a believer until my daughter was five, at which point I introduced spanking as Godly discipline, not punishment. And I sent her to a school that used spanking as discipline as well. I saw such a positive difference in her behavior in a very short time. So I agree, that if done properly and in the right spirit, spanking is an excellent discipline tool for young children.
August 21, 2008 at 11:04 am
Mom
I come from the last generation that witnessed (though not personally) a LOT of corporal punishment in schools. Believe me, it did not promote violent behavior
and the threat of receiving the same was a sure-fire deterrent! Not only would
we get spanked at school but we would get spanked once we got home for get-
ting spanked at school! Having received much “corporal punishment” at home,
I respected my elders and behaved myself as much as my little sinful self could!
Teachers must have a means to maintain control. If there are no serious con-
sequences, we will all run amuck! I, for one, believe spanking should be reinstated in school districts where it has been eliminated, with distinct guidelines.
August 22, 2008 at 11:42 am
Wink Rush
I do believe that spanking is a deterrent, and holds you accountable to what you have done. It reinforces that their are consequences to every bad decision that you make.
September 5, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Andie Eggimann
I believe I’ve heard the argument that spanking should be done only by parents because there is a relationship of trust there. Perhaps the kids getting spanked at school are not being spanked by their parents at home. Not sure what to say about that. I would not want my children to be spanked at school because I think that responsibility is mine.