Corporal punishment in schools. Continuing support for the use of corporal punishment is related to the following factors: (1) widely held beliefs regarding the effectiveness of corporal punishment, (2) an unawareness of problems resulting from the use of physical punishment May 21, 2020 · Schools with high rates of other disciplinary practices were more likely to use corporal punishment, while those who employed a mental health professional and trained staff in safety procedures were less likely to use corporal punishment. . C. In fact, public school teachers in California may be charged with child abuse or assault and battery for Nov 21, 2023 · As most schools offered hybrid instruction in 2020-21, Black students and students with disabilities were disproportionately disciplined. Despite the ban, corporal punishment is still used as a form of discipline more than 20 years later. Corporal punishment is still legal in 19 states. When it is inflicted on minors, especially in home and school settings, its methods may include spanking or paddling. The removal of corporal punishment and the elimination of other dehumanising practices in our schools are necessary steps towards the development of a culture of human rights in our country. Although much is known about parents' use of corporal punishment, there is less research about school corporal punishment. Here are some facts and some suggestions as to what you can do to help eliminate corporal punishment once and for all. Anubis is a compromise. Although primary studies have pointed toward detrimental effects of SCP, a quantitative review of these studies was not yet available. Mar 3, 2023 · Corporal punishment is legal in most private schools and occurs in public schools. Although much is known about parents' use of corporal punishment, little is known about school corporal punishment. Although this practice has been on the decline Mar 1, 2023 · Corporal punishment still in schools despite ban The Abolishing of Corporal Punishment Act, No. Still, educators agreed that discipline was an inherent part of a teacher's job. Teacher attitudes favoring corporal punishment, and their use of violence in other contexts, increased risk. It is defined as a physical punishment which involves hitting someone. Sep 1, 2022 · Although corporal punishment can potentially leave lasting psychological and emotional damage to a child, it is allowed in 19 states. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that corporal punishment in all school settings be abolished in all states by law and replaced by alternative … Corporal punishment refers to intentional application of physical pain as a method of changing behavior [1]. Opponents say corporal punishment promotes a lack of personal responsibility for one's behavior because such punishment shifts the control of a student's action to an external source. 33 of 1997 banned the use of corporal punishment in schools. 21). , the principal paddles his students himself. Nov 19, 2024 · Given that corporal punishment is linked to worsened student behavior, mental and physical health, and cognitive performance, efforts to abolish school corporal punishment must continue, as the data show that many schools will keep using corporal punishment as long as it’s allowed. That started to change around the turn of the century. In schools in the United States, corporal punishment takes the form of a school teacher or administrator striking a student's buttocks with a wooden paddle (often called "spanking" or "paddling"). Jan 9, 2017 · Abstract School corporal punishment continues to be a legal means of disciplining children in a third of the world’s countries. Mar 24, 2023 · Laws in a majority of states and the District of Columbia ban the use of corporal punishment in public schools, 3 and other states have prohibited the use of corporal punishment for students with disabilities. In schools it typically involves either striking the student on the buttocks or on the palms of their hands [1][2] with an implement (some of which are only applied to the buttocks) such as a May 13, 2025 · Corporal punishment in public schools is common. T. Research has a useful place in revealing the prevalence of corporal punishment, monitoring implementation of prohibition, and developing efective positive, non-violent, participatory approaches to school discipline. This is in spite of research showing the harm in punitive disciplinary practices like corporal punishment (see here, here, and here ). It has often been assumed that it was an uncontroversial and widely accepted means of maintaining school discipline. As well as violating children’s rights, overwhelming evidence shows that the use of corporal punishment in schools can impede learning and contribute to school drop-out. According to a study by the ResearchGate, boys were more likely to receive corporal punishment than girls, and African American and Latino students were more likely to be subjected to these practices than their white counterparts. Jul 31, 2019 · While more and more countries have moved to ban corporal punishment in schools, certain types of nations have been slower than others to outlaw the practice. Jan 14, 2022 · And then we come to Mississippi. Abstract In many countries, corporal punishment of school children continues to be an officially or unofficially sanctioned form of institutional child abuse. Moreover, the instances of corporal punishment in private schools are not reported to the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. Corporal punishment in schools undermines everything that education aims to achieve - and yet it remains lawful for half the global school-age population, and a weekly or even daily experience for vast numbers of children around the world. military training facilities, [ 24 ] and most juvenile detention facilities. Facts about formal corporal punishment in schools, prisons, and institutions, and as a judicial penalty, throughout the world. This systematic review focused on (a) prevalence, (b) associated mental health and behavioral factors, and (c) correlates that may be risk or protective factors. Advocacy is needed to reduce the number of states allowing the practice in both private and public schools; federal legislation may be required to end corporal punishment in schools. Jun 9, 2023 · Use of Corporal Punishment in Schools s that is physical in nature. Over 100,000 students are disciplined with corporal punishment in public schools each year. 4 According to the Department's Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), the number of public school students subjected to corporal Jun 11, 2019 · This report provides a more comprehensive picture of corporal punishment at the state and local level by examining the rate of corporal punishment at schools that use the practice (i. [ 25 ] As the evidence against corporal punishment mounts, so does our moral responsibility to eliminate this practice. Today, educators are working to create more equitable policies. Physical School corporal punishment continues to be a legal means of disciplining children in a third of the world's countries. [2] The practice was held constitutional in the 1977 Supreme Court case Ingraham v. Introduction The use of corporal punishment to discipline children remains one of the last holdouts of old-fashioned childrearing in the United States. Apr 29, 2022 · Most instances of corporal punishment take place at home, but the practice also remains prevalent in schools in many low- and middle-income countries. Sep 1, 2016 · Why Does This Matter? Corporal punishment in public schools is legal in 19 U. But sadly, vast numbers of children around the world are subjected to violence in education settings, particularly as a disciplinary method. school system excluded non-white students, white students were the first to experience corporal punishment in schools. Black and disabled kids are disproportionately punished. A corporal punishment or a physical punishment is a punishment which is intended to cause physical pain to a person. In the 2015-2016 school year, more than 92,000 public school students were paddled or spanked at the hands May 21, 2020 · Schools with high rates of other disciplinary practices were more likely to use corporal punishment, while those who employed a mental health professional and trained staff in safety procedures were less likely to use corporal punishment. The practice, which is most common in the Southern Jan 5, 2019 · Although 31 states have currently banned the practice of corporal punishment, there are 19 states which permit it to be used in schools. states allow physical punishment for students who Jun 6, 2022 · The federal government does not ban corporal punishment in schools and 19 states still allow it, leaving districts to decide whether to use it and how. schools. Several studies indicate a link between corporal punishment and low academic achievement. Like CP at home, school-based CP can have serious negative consequences for children and undermine the development Apr 12, 2017 · The use of corporal punishment is on the decline, but at one high school in N. Oct 17, 2019 · Corporal punishment is legal in private schools all over the United States, and also in 19 states. Corporal Punishment in Private Schools Rules from the Alaska Administrative Code for private schools using corporal punishment, including a requirement for parental consent. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Are there positive effects, or should it be banned? Aug 24, 2016 · Corporal punishment is still used in 21 states, with over 109,000 students physically punished in U. Oct 17, 2016 · The practice is ineffective and damaging, but many states are holding on tight to corporal punishment. Black students disproportionately receive corporal punishment in schools as well as students with disabilities, making this a key racial justice and educational equity issue. Anubis uses a Proof-of-Workscheme in the vein of Hashcash, a proposed proof-of-work scheme for reducing email spam. Aug 31, 2023 · Corporal punishment in schools: Research and reporting tips to guide your coverage Two scholars offer guidance on covering school corporal punishment, which can result in serious injuries and has, for years, been used disproportionately on Black students and children with disabilities. But experts agree this punitive tactic doesn't work and has lasting, harmful consequences. Apr 3, 2008 · Abstract Corporal punishment was an important part of the educational experience of many children educated during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This first-ever report based on data from 36,942 public schools in 4,460 districts finds that Black children, boys, and children with disabilities receive a disproportionate share of corporal punishment in schools. It is important to make a distinction between discipline and punishment. Schools with high rates of other disciplinary practices were more likely to use corporal punishment, while those who employed a mental health professional and trained staff in safety procedures were less likely to use corporal punishment. Apr 26, 2025 · Notably, corporal punishment is still legal across many states, and it is unclear whether Trump's directive might accelerate that disparity, per the fact-checking outlet. Corporal punishment is defined as a “physical punishment” and a “punishment that involves hitting someone. Rather than being an effective method to improve child behaviour, corporal punishment is linked to increases children’s behavioural problems over time and is shown to May 3, 2023 · Schools are meant to be transformative spaces for children to learn and develop. Apr 15, 2024 · This article would enable the learners to gain a basic understanding of the problem of corporal punishment given to the children in school in the Indian context and knowledge about the legal position and legislative provisions regarding corporal punishment in India. Sep 11, 2012 · Nineteen states have laws that allow corporal punishment in public schools, according to the Center for Effective Discipline. The practice makes children more aggressive and disruptive, researchers say. This article summarizes what is known about the legality and prevalence of school corporal punishment, about the outcomes linked to it, and about Jun 30, 2022 · This narrative review-based paper explain why teachers are using corporal punishment as the terminal solution for most of the problems despite of legislation against corporal punishment in schools Children are illegally subjected to corporal punishment in schools; institutions meant for care and protection of children. A recent analysis seeks to explain why. Juvenile detention facilities are banning Jessica R. Corporal punishment, or violent forms of discipline, is a common practice at schools in many countries, administered by teachers and other staff. Continuing support for the use of corporal punishment is related to the following factors: (1) widely held beliefs regarding the effectiveness of corporal punishment, (2) an unawareness of problems resulting from the use of physical Therefore prohibition of corporal punishment in schools is best understood as a human rights obligation. This article questions these assumptions, using autobiographical accounts produced by individuals educated between 1890 and Apr 30, 2024 · Corporal punishment is also associated with impaired cognitive development, lower educational attainment, and higher school dropout. Studies included in this review were peer-reviewed, published in English between 1980 and July 2017, and quantitative in design Jun 20, 2016 · Corporal punishment, or the use of physical force (such as spanking) as a means of discipline, is regulated at the state level. A school culture that ensures a safe, respectful Corporal punishment is also contrary to respect for human dignity, a deep-seated guiding principle of international human rights law enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Aug 21, 2023 · Corporal punishment should be abolished by law in all states and replaced with alternative forms of student behavior management. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on Friday called on schools to stop using corporal punishment, citing the practice’s long-term effect on children’s physical and mental health Feb 17, 2025 · Discover when schools moved away from corporal punishment and paddling in favor of modern discipline methods focused on student welfare. Between 1890 and 1918, high school enrollment increased Apr 21, 2025 · Nearly a half-century after the Supreme Court ruled that school spankings are permissible and not “cruel and unusual punishment,” many U. Calling this form of punishment ineffective, she urges parents and schools to adopt more supportive and positive disciplinary practices that work. O. S. e. Morgan University of New Haven Corporal punishment can be defined as “paddling, spanking, or other forms of physical punishment imposed on a student” (U. Use of non-violent, age-appropriate ways to manage student behavior that have been proven effective. Of course, rights must be exercised responsibly. schools in the 18th and 19th centuries, to “bring order. Although much is known about parents’ use of corporal punishment, there is less research about school corporal punishment. It humiliates and degrades Abstract School corporal punishment continues to be a legal means of disciplining children in a third of the world's countries. ” Since the U. Despite global shifts toward prevention of school corporal punishment, the practice remains widespread. Often, the issue is decided by principals, who frequently defer to parental preference, creating unequal systems of discipline across schools in the same communities and even within individual classrooms. However, according to 2019 statistics, only 53 countries actually ban corporal School corporal punishment (SCP) is still widely used in many countries. This article summarizes what is known about the legality and prevalence of school corporal punishment, about the outcomes linked to it, and Corporal punishment is the use of physical force to cause pain or harm to someone accused of breaking a law or rule. While certainly a diminished presence in 2025, it is still enshrined in state education statutes in at least 14 states as a legal way of disciplining students. Two to three million incidents of corporal punishment are estimated to occur each year. Sep 16, 2019 · Corporal punishment is banned in the armed forces of the United States in their training sentence. In schools in the United States, forms of corporal punishment include spanking or slapping, hitting with weapons such as paddles, rulers, or belts, and forcing students to perform physically painful activities such as Schools with high rates of other disciplinary practices were more likely to use corporal punishment, while those who employed a mental health professional and trained staff in safety procedures were less likely to use corporal punishment. In 2018 Dec 13, 2018 · Here are five things to know about the practice and why it endures. May 1, 2024 · According to the researchers, corporal punishment was commonly used in U. Some states permit corporal punishment in public schools -- including Louisiana, Georgia, and North Carolina -- but California and the majority of states do not. ABSTRACT School corporal punishment continues to be a legal means of disciplining children in a third of the world’s countries. However, depending on your school or teachers, you may have a reward system or something similar, despite your school not being a primary school. Curious if you live in one of them? We built a map. L. Mar 24, 2023 · U. When it is inflicted on adults, it may be inflicted on prisoners and slaves, and can involve methods such as whipping with a belt or a horsewhip. Critics argue paddling does not stop bad behavior, while supporters Corporal punishment has historically been a disciplinary tool in many U. Furthermore, Trump does not have the legal authority to permit corporal punishment in US schools without an act of Congress, Snopes reported. Corporal punishment, defined as paddling, spanking or other forms of physical Nov 28, 2021 · Corporal punishment is institutional child abuse, and for this reason, luckily, it is forbidden in many countries. Given that the use of school corporal punishment is heavily concentrated in Southern states, and that the federal government has not included corporal punishment in its recent initiatives about Apr 25, 2025 · Instead, Trump seeks to roll back attempts to fix racial disparities in school discipline, which could extend to inequities in corporal punishment. Sep 1, 2023 · The use of corporal punishment in schools is not an effective or ethical method for management of behavior concerns and causes harm to students. states, with more than 160,000 children subjected to this form of discipline each year. State legislatures, police, district attorneys, state courts, and local school boards should remove obstacles that prevent victims of corporal punishment (and their parents) from pursuing redress. This article Dec 1, 2016 · Fifteen states allow corporal punishment in school; another seven don't prohibit it. Why prohibit corporal punishment? Children have a right to learn without violence in school, whether in a public, private, government-subsidised or faith based institution. Department of Education, 2014 p. It is no longer permissible to use it as a sentence for a crime. Jul 1, 2025 · The legality of corporal punishment in U. prisons and U. Corporal punishment in schools is the deliberate infliction of physical pain as a response to undesired behavior by students. Given that the use of school corporal punishment is heavily concentrated in Southern Aug 21, 2023 · Corporal punishment remains legal in many public and private schools in the United States and is disproportionately used among Black students and children with disabilities. Gone are the days of administering cod-liver oil to prevent rickets, spreading alcohol on babies’ gums to dull teething pain, or even putting children to sleep on their stomachs to prevent choking on fluids—practices that have been May 27, 2012 · This article looks at the pros and cons of the corporal punishment debate and explores the main arguments, reasons and points for and against using or abolishing physical punishment in schools. Loss of “privileges” This type of punishment is practically almost always used in primary schools. 5 This note will document the deficiencies of a Apr 1, 2014 · Corporal punishment is the primary method used in schools to instill discipline and ensure that pupils develop the necessary moral qualities to become responsible citizens. ” In K-12 schools corporal punishment is often spanking, with either a hand or a paddle, or striking a student across his or her hand with a ruler or a leather strap. For public schools, it Jan 1, 1983 · In many countries, corporal punishment of school children continues to be an officially or unofficially sanctioned form of institutional child abuse. Mar 7, 2025 · Learn about corporal punishment in schools, and how this controversial education practice can impact a child’s behavior and mental health long term. Dec 12, 2023 · New data shows that at least 19,395 students experienced corporal punishment during the 2020-21 school year. Apr 20, 2024 · The implementation of corporal punishment in schools during the 1960s was not without its biases and disparities. Evidence shows that it is linked to a range of both short- and long-term negative outcomes for children across countries and cultures. Evidence has revealed that May 21, 2021 · Decisions on whether to allow corporal punishment in school have been largely local. Some students more than others are paying the price. I. The United States is still one of the few members of the United Nations to allow corporal punishment in schools (Gershoff & Font, 2016). Finally, far from teaching children how to behave well, violent punishment increases aggression, anti-social behaviour and perpetration and victimization of violence. The practice almost always causes immediate pain, and can result in lasting physical injury. But research is not needed in order to “prove” that corporal punishment Schools with high rates of other disciplinary practices were more likely to use corporal punishment, while those who employed a mental health professional and trained staff in safety procedures were less likely to use corporal punishment. But education leaders began moving toward more progressive and positive disciplinary approaches in the mid-20th century. This brief will cover an overview May 15, 2025 · Corporal punishment is still permitted in schools in 20 states, where approximately 70,000 children were hit during the 2017-18 school year. CP in school is prevalent worldwide and includes common practices such as spankin or paddling (Gershof, 2017). Recently, in several cases challenging excessive corporal punishment, the Seventh and Ninth Circuits strayed from the substantive-due-process framework and evaluated the school officials’ conduct under the Fourth Amendment’s “reasonableness” standard, which was developed and applied to the public-school setting in New Jersey v. schools is a complex issue defined by state laws, local policies, and distinct rules for public and private institutions. A ban on corporal punishment in all schools, public and private, in all 50 states. The idea is that at individual scales the additional load is ignorable, but at mass scraper levels it adds up and makes scraping much more expensive. Of those that reported experiencing violence at school, the most common form of violence experienced was corporal punishment by teachers Corporal punishment in our schools is fundamentally about controlling students and instilling in them a sense of fear of, rather than connection to, the adults in their school communities. Black students are four times more likely than white students to experience this type of punishment. To gain better insight into effects of Oct 7, 2022 · 12. Apr 30, 2025 · Corporal punishment has been present in public schools for decades. Notwithstanding the efforts of government and progress made in creating a legislative framework, acts of corporal punishment in schools continue. Corporal punishment in schools harms children and damages their education. Apr 3, 2024 · With 17 states where corporal punishment is still legal today, Peterson urges parents, educators, and policymakers to mobilize and push for abolition of this practice. In 2012, Mississippi schools had the highest rate in the nation of corporal punishment for Black children—and the highest for white children as well. This report May 5, 2023 · Corporal punishment in schools does not refer to the occasional need of a school official to restrain a dangerous student or use physical force as a means of protecting members of the school community subject to imminent danger. It includes a wide variety of methods such as hitting, slapping, spanking, punching, kicking, pinching, shaking, shoving, choking, use of various objects (wooden paddles, belts, sticks, pins, or others), painful body postures (as placing in closed spaces), use of electric shock, use of Corporal punishment--the intentional infliction of pain with the intent of changing unacceptable behavior--is allowed in schools in 22 States. The term corporal punishment derives from corpus, the Latin word for the body. May 21, 2020 · Schools with high rates of other disciplinary practices were more likely to use corporal punishment, while those who employed a mental health professional and trained staff in safety procedures were less likely to use corporal punishment. Little is known about the forms school corporal punishment takes or about how Aug 25, 2016 · Yet many criticized corporal punishment for its ineffectiveness. , examining the percentage of students with disabilities struck in school out of the total number of students with disabilities enrolled in a school allowing the Apr 28, 2024 · Did you think that corporal punishment in our schools was extinct? Sadly, it isn't. Corporal punishment in public schools is legal in nineteen states in the U. More extreme instances, including the use of a chemical spray and a Taser, have also been recorded by American Nov 23, 2021 · Corporal or physical punishment is highly prevalent globally, both in homes and schools. Population Description The characteristics of all public schools and their counties in the 19 states that legally allow SCP are described in Table 1, with descriptive statistics provided for the 32,469 schools that reported no corporal punishment use and the 5,534 schools in which at least 1 student was reported to have received corporal Nov 22, 2016 · Corporal punishment has also been banned in Head Start Programs, [ 22 ] Department of Defense-run schools, [ 23 ] U. Pennsylvania State University Abstract School corporal punishment is currently legal in 19 states, and over 160,000 children in these states are subject to corporal punishment in schools each year. Most Many parents give schools permission to spank their child. May 20, 2024 · Twenty-three states either still allow, or haven't officially banned, corporal punishment to discipline children in public schools. classrooms during the 2013-14 school year. Corporal punishment is a discipline method in which a supervising adult deliberately inflicts pain upon a child in response to a child's unacceptable behavior and/or inappropriate language. Aug 27, 2022 · Corporal punishment had been in a slow decline before the pandemic, but remains legal in 19 states, mostly in the South. School corporal punishment is currently legal in 19 states, and over 160,000 children in these states are subject to corporal punishment in schools each year. May 21, 2021 · Surprising to many, corporal punishment in schools remains legal in 19 states nationwide. Education reformer Horace Mann called it "a relic of barbarism" and argued that students should learn how to monitor their own behaviors. xluyund oea rmmn ytulv dabrf ulrsnjd rnfigt xbkwvd dikzo qmqv

Corporal punishment in schools. , the principal paddles his students himself.