Corporal Punishment
From WikEd
[edit] Corporal Punishment: A Neccessary Evil?
"Children need discipline but not hitting." Dawn Walker, Canadian Institute of Child Health
"...optimal disciplinary responses begin with less severe tactics, such as reasoning, but proceed to firmer disciplinary tactics when the initial tactic achieves neither compliance nor an acceptable compromise." Robert Larzelere, Boys' Home
What's your thought? Here are some of the topics frequently addressed about corporal punishment.
[edit] Descriptions, definitions, synonyms, organizer terms, types of
Definition of Corporal Punishment
[[1]] Punishment by physical pain, such as flogging.
the infliction of physical injury on someone convicted of committing a crime [[2]]
A punishment for some violation of conduct which involves the infliction of pain on, or harm to the body. A fine or imprisonment is not considered to be corporal punishment (in the latter case, although the body is confined, no punishment is inflicted upon the body). The death penalty is the most drastic form of corporal punishment and is also called capital punishment. Some private schools still use a strap to punish pupils, but it is unlawful in state schools and has been held to be contrary to a child's rights by the European Court of Human Rights. Some countries still punish habitual thieves by cutting off a hand. These are forms of corporal punishment, as is any form of spanking, whipping or bodily mutilation inflicted as punishment. www.sixthform.info/law/03_dictionary/dict_c.html
Corporal punishment may be administered according to the district policy pertaining to this violation. nettleton.crsc.k12.ar.us
On this site, when you look at the student handbook, you will see this heading that indicates corporal punishment as a disciplinary option.
Corporal punishemnt is the use of physical punishment as a form of discipline for school children. Although the term is generally associated with spanking, paddling, or whipping, it can also refer to any physical act that causes discomfort to the student. For example, slapping, striking, grabbing, pulling to the ground or out of the calssroom, or requiring the students to stay in a physically difficult posture, are all forms of corporal punishemnt. Corporal punishemnt may also include the continuance of strenuous physical activity, for example running laps on a field. (Financial and Education Law Training Program. (2002) Student Issues: Corporal Punishment. Retrieved May 8, 2005. from [[3]]
[edit] Application in classrooms and similar settings
The 10 states that use corporal punishment the most, by percentage of students struck by educators in the 1999-2000 school year: It really surprises me that almost 10% of all students in Mississippi are struck or hit in a school year. If I did that as an educator I'm sure I would be putting my job in jeopardy. I've also noticed that most of these states are in the south. Is it still old school down in the south? I'm not all against corporal punishment, but I believe there are times when the student needs to be put in his place.
Mississippi with 9.8 % of students.
Arkansas with 9.1 % of students.
Alabama with 5.4 % of students.
Tennessee with 4.2 % of students.
Oklahoma with 2.9 % of students.
Louisiana with 2.6 % of students.
Texas with 1.9 % of students.
Georgia with 1.8 & of students.
Missouri with 1.0 % of students.
New Mexico with 0.7 % of students.
I was certainly not aware that there were that number of states that still allowed corporal punishment. I was also suprised that some states us it on almost 10 percent of their students. This brings up some very interesting issues. I can remember numerous times listening or talking about in the teachers lounge how sometimes a students needs a good wack on the behind or something else. Yet after the fact I always wonder whether it is a good thing to do. My great fear is that it can always be taken to the extreme and instead of a student getting a slight spanking it can result in welts being placed on their behind. The likelyhood of corporal punishment being abused by some people would lead me to believe that educators have to be very careful about using it ever.
Source (Discipline at Schools. U.S.: Statistics on Corporal Punishment by State and Race. Retrieved on May 8, 2005)from http://www.stophitting.com/disatschool/statesBanning.php)
It is suprising to find that corporal punishment is still sanctioned in this country. Many American students grow up thinking that corporal punishment is illegal in the USA. This, as evidenced by these, and other statistics, shows that the opposite is true. As we look at the practices of corporal punishment in American schools, we must also address the way this issue is handled in other countries.
Here is information on the disciplinary practices of other countries, as it pertains to the topic of corporal punishment. [[4]] This website is very informative on this topic. It provides an alphabetical listing of all fifty states and many coutries around the world. Under each territory is a listing of disciplinary practices in various schools. Some schools on the list provide their student handbooks, which include consent forms that parents must sign, giving school officials permision to use corporal punishment on their children. Some of the more severe punishments used in other countries are caning, lashes, or paddling. This site also lists offenses that can bring about a corporal punishment. These include smoking, drug abuse, vandalism, fighting, etc. Also of interest, is that the use of physical means in the punishment process differs in some countries based on the sex of the offender. At times boys will recieve a physical punishment while girls will spend time in detention for the same level of offense.
[edit] Evidence of effectiveness
Here is an article by Barry Maley. "Corporal Punishment is not all bad." (2001)Retrieved on May 8, 2005 from
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=1975
This is a well written opinion based article on corporal punishment. It takes an open minded look at both sides of the debate on whether corporal punishment is appropriate in the schools. Below is a quote from this online article by Barry Malay that raises some very well worded points on the challenges that face schools as they discipline students.
"The dilemmas and difficulties raised by the infliction of physical punishment on children by parents or those acting in loco parentis in the interests of disciplining or correcting children are evident enough, and there are two main arguments against it.
The first is that it is a morally repugnant, illegitimate and unjust assault upon another human being and especially reprehensible in that it is perpetrated upon those who are least able to defend themselves. The second argument (which is really an hypothesis) is that physical punishment of children does not, as may be claimed, constitute an efficient and effective way of disciplining children in the interests of socialising and educating them; that it contributes to the development of aggressive personalities; and that other methods of control are more effective and humane. It follows, so the argument goes, that all forms of physical punishment of children by adults should be outlawed. Arguments of this kind have prevailed about physical punishment in schools (e.g. caning), and in some countries parental physical punishment has either been outlawed or had defined restrictions placed upon its use."
Malay goes on to mention several surveys that have relevant information to the topic. These surveys found that the use of infrequent "smacking of the legs or bottom" is an effective method of disciplining a child. The article states that a crucial factor in maintaining the effectiveness of corporal punishment is frequency. If corporal punishment is used too often, it loses its effect. Corporal punishment works well as a last resort.
[edit] Alternatives to corporal punishment
Here is a website dedicated to alternatives to corporal punishment. http://www.stophitting.com/disatschool/alternatives.php
[edit] Critics and their rationale
Against Corporal Punishment
Here is a website dedicated to banning corporal punishment. (http://www.stophitting.com/disathome/sureshrani.php)
Website of the National Coalition to Abolish Corporal Punishment in Schools. (http://www.stophitting.com/disatschool/)
Arguments Against Corporal Punishment
1. It perpetuates a cycle of child abuse. It teaches children to hit someone smaller and weaker when angry.
2. Injuries occur. Bruises are common. Broken bones are not unusual. Children's deaths have occurred in the U.S. due to school corporal punishment.
3. Corporal punishment is used much more often on poor children, minorities, children with disabilities, and boys.
4. Schools are the only institutions in America in which striking another person is legally sanctioned. It is not allowed in prisons, in the military or in mental hospitals.
5. Educators and school boards are sometimes sued when corporal punishment is used in their schools.
6. Schools that use corporal punishment often have poorer academic achievement, more vandalism, truancy, pupil violence and higher drop out rates.
7. Corporal punishment is often not used as a last resort. It is often the first resort for minor misbehaviors.
8. Many alternatives to corporal punishment have proven their worth. Alternatives teach children to be self-disciplined rather than cooperative only because of fear.
Source (http://www.stophitting.com/disatschool/argumentsAgainst.php)
Abolition of corporal punishment: a retrospective
It has been ten years since corporal punishment was effectively abolished in British state schools. Since that time, teachers have been forced to look at alternative sanctions, often exploiting pastoral care models which require high levels of staffing, space and time. For some schools, there has been a tendency to utilise the school’s exclusion to avoid this large outlay of resources; ironically leading to perhaps a greater breach of human rights, that of the right to education. This irony has been lost on children’s rights advocates who are seeking to challenge what they perceive as a flagrant denial of human rights. Beyond this irony lie philosophical concerns about the use of force. A conflict lies in the dichotomy inherent in this discussion, centring first on children’s rights to physical integrity, so clearly echoed in the European Court’s judgments and replete in the writing of theorists like Newsom and Newsom (1986), Newell (1989) and Leach (1993). This is reinforced by the move towards restricting the use of physical chastisement by parents, successfully enacted through statute law in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland, and more recently by the Scottish Law Commission.
Taken from: Abolishing corporal punishment: lessons learnt in British classrooms. http://www.edulaw.co.za/main/newsletters/Vol2/CorpPun3.htm
World Corporal Punishment Research: http://www.corpun.com
Balter,
In an article entitled Schoolwide and Classroom Discipline by Kathleen Cotton, researchers Docking, Doyle, and Maurer and Wallerstein made the following conclusions in regard to the effectiveness of corporal punishment in reducing misbehavior: 1) the results are unpredictable; 2) even when corporal punishment is successful in inhibiting inappropriate behavior, it still doesn’t foster appropriate behavior; 3) it can sometimes be "unintentionally reinforcing" since it brings attention from adults and peers; 4) it often creates resentment and hostility, which makes good working relationships harder to create in the future; and 5) corporal punishment has also be linked to an increase of undesirable outcomes, such as increased vandalism and dropping out.
Reference: http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/5/cu9.html
Corporal Punishment - 2 Reasons For Outlawing It by Robert Kennedy of About.com
This article includes compelling arguments against corporal punishment. Kennedy states that corporal punishment has no place in education and that many professional organizations are against its use. The article lists professional organizations that oppose it, including The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The American School Counselor Association, The American Academy of Pediatrics, The National Council of Teachers of English, The National Center for the Study of Corporal Punishment and Alternatives, and The National Association of Secondary Principals. That is quite an impressive list! The article also interestingly states that most private schools are against corporal punishment. There is a good list of related links at the bottom of the first page. The subsequent three pages include an interview with Jordan Riak, the executive director of Project NoSpank, and a list of names for corporal punishment.
[edit] Signed "life experiences", testimonies and stories
Corporal punishment is an interesting subject for today's kids. As a teacher, I do not feel that corporal punishment should be practiced in schools, however I do feel that it should be practiced at home. Nothing can hurt a child that receives a good spanking. Don't get me wrong! I am not talking about beatings. I do not feel that kids should be beaten. I think kids should receive a small spanking when they are younger for behavior issues. I made it through it and it really got me to stop doing things that I shouldn't be doing. (Robert Hayes, 2008)
A very interesting topic that has sparked much debate during the last ten years or so. I am a proponent of corporal punishment because I am a product of it. We were disciplined when I was young and I feel that I am a better and more responsible person because of it. Unfortunately, many young people today feel they can get away with anything. Much this, I believe, is due to the increasing number of lawsuits that are being filed for anything people don't agree with. We are living in a society that people feel 'entitled' and are losing touch with the notion that 'hard work pays off.' -J. Daeschler
What interesting stories are told regarding corporal punishment. I agree 100% with corporal punishment. I also used the guidelines given by James Dobson in his book "Dare to Discipline." In order for the punishment to be effective, the child must know what the action was that caused the punishment. The punishment must also be given in love. I was whipped as a child, but it was for my own good. I also used corporal punishment for my own children. Again, trying to teach a lesson through the punishment. Because in most states the law for corporal punishment is so far removed, most children have no concern for their wrong doing. The bible also tells us to "spare the rod and spoil the child." Children need to learn right from wrong at an early age. --Merna Youngblood
I agree with corporal punishment. As an educator, I find that today we are losing more and more control of our children in all settings. It frustrates me that if I have a child misbehaving continuously, as a classroom teacher, the most effective form of discipline I have the power to administer is to take away recess time. And if you really push me, no lunchtime recess either. You'll have to sit in my classroom with me and each your lunch in silence and then put your head down or finish incomplete assignments. Students know this and it is no wonder that the behavior we see is only getting worse and becoming more frequent. And how disheartening it is to give the parent a phone call to discuss the behavior and the student then tells the parent, "I don't have to listen to you." In response, the parent says, "You, wait until so and so comes home, I am going to tell him/her how you've been behaving." To that, the student responds, "So, I don't care." If some parents are not even effective with their own children, what chance do I really have? ~S. Ward
I used to be very much against the idea of corporal punishment. I think some parents use it too frequently and it loses its effectiveness. James Dobson changed my mind about corporal punishment because he gives specific guidelines in his book Dare to Discipline. They are very reasonable and give the parent and idea of how to do it, when not to do it (when you're angry!), and when the parent needs to stop using it. He believes that it should not be done with the hand, but with another object because hands should be used for hugging the child. The child should know precisely why they are being punished. He also emphasized throughout the book that the child needs to be reminded that they are loved and that the action taken was done out of love.
Hopefully I won't ever have to spank my child. I'd certainly prefer not to and will continue to look at different ways of dealing with disciplinary problems as I go off into the field of teaching again. If I do have children, I know that my job will keep me away from home quite a bit. I already anticipate the fact that my children might act out because of lack of attention, so hopefully I can take some steps to make sure that they feel loved and try to give them the attention that they need when I can. The whole idea of parenting scares the crap out of me. (Kathryn Milner)
In an article entitled Schoolwide and Classroom Discipline by Kathleen Cotton, researchers Docking, Doyle, and Maurer and Wallerstein made the following conclusions in regard to the effectiveness of corporal punishment in reducing misbehavior: 1) the results are unpredictable; 2) even when corporal punishment is successful in inhibiting inappropriate behavior, it still doesn’t foster appropriate behavior; 3) it can sometimes be "unintentionally reinforcing" since it brings attention from adults and peers; 4) it often creates resentment and hostility, which makes good working relationships harder to create in the future; and 5) corporal punishment has also be linked to an increase of undesirable outcomes, such as increased vandalism and dropping out.
Reference: Schoolwide and Classroom Discipline
When I first became a teacher, corporal punishment was not even regarded as an issue in my country. But, as time went by, a lot of teachers began to pose questions about this. It was more a matter of humanity, rather than a matter of effectiveness. So a few years ago, our government passed the law not permitting corporal punishment. But, still many teachers use corporal punishment as a way of disciplining students. I think this phenomenon is more related with cultural background. If one culture has long time history of using corporal punishment, people in that culture usually think it is not a big deal. Sometimes even students want corporal punishment instead of spending long time with teachers after the school. Of course I am not supporting corporal punishment even though I used it during my early teaching years, but if teachers explain and let students understand why they have to have corporal punishment, there are not big emotional conflicts between teachers and students. Emotional conflicts between teachers and students mainly come when teachers do corporal punishment according to their personal emotions.
Junghyean Weon
comments--------------
I agree with Dobson, i think corporal punishment should be used if needed, but only if the parent isn't angry, and NEVER with the hands--thats just abuse. For myself, i was spanked, but only when i was younger, and never hard enough to really hurt. As i got older, punishments were used, and they were very effective...but nothing was more effective than hearing my mom say 'I've lost some trust in you, you're going to have to build that up again', that just about broke my heart, and i never wanted to feel that i'd lost my parents trust again (of course you have to be old enough to understand...like 8+). Jasmine Johnson
I wonder what the school atmosphere would be like if corporal punishment was still in place. Sometimes students show no respect for teachers. When I was in school, I rememeber hearing other students get the paddle (I am only 30, it was not that long ago). It kept majority of the students from doing anything inappropriate. We all had the fear of getting in trouble. I have seen students today act in ways that I would never have seen when I was in school. Something needs to be done to make the schools safe and to have a good learning environment. What this is, I don't know. I would like to find a happy medium. Nichole Jessup
I remember one high school teacher who was the calmest teacher I had ever seen. One day one of my classmates tried just to answer to the teacher's question (about cutting his class the previous day) in a "smart" way. The teacher approached the student very calmly and in an instant struck the student so hard that he fell under the desk. The whole class could not believe but the teacher went back to his teaching as calm as he was before. Nobody blamed on the teacher and he remained well respected, but the class blame was on the student. I believe that this kind of message was clear for the class, and we never had any other problem in that class. A. Rosu
I went to school where corporal punishment was frowned on but not ruled out. So, in the early 80's more schools were starting to steer away from this avenue of discipline. I had been accused of stealing in my classroom and someone planted the object in my coat, for fear of getting into trouble. Well, boy was that a paddling that I had never wanted to receive. At that point in my life I had never been paddled by my family and only once had physical aggression on me and I deserved it. In my middle school days I began to be mouthy to my mom just as I saw others being mouthy to their parents. My mom smacked me...like I said...I deserved it. Because of my parents need to talk more than physically hurt, we were a closer family. We were able to discuss choices before they were carried out. I was really down and talked about suicide and my parents got me help. If I would not have had that open relationship, I fear I would not be here to tell my story.
When I started teaching in 1970 corporal punishment was still used in the school setting. I really didn't want to use it and thankfully, I never had to. Yet, there were times when I sent a student to the principal's office and she did use it, but only after many other things had been tried. I still remember witnessing a spanking of a student who another teacher had sent to the principal and I had the misfortune of being the only one in the office at the time. I still cringe every time I think of that unfortunate student. From that time on, I dealt with my discipline without trying to get the principal involved. S.Morrisette
I don't think corporal punishment is entirely necessary in the school systems, but I do think it is interesting that children were more behaved when it was still in place. A lot of teachers I know feel that the punishments they are allowed to use are not adequate punishment because the child does not seem to mind being punished. Honestly, I am not really sure what the answer is. Dianne Craig
I suppose I'm not sure what the answer is either, but I don't think the problems with the American school system came with demise of corporal punishment. I think that the best form of discipline comes from having a loving, honest, and open relationship with a child. When you're young, very few things feel worse than knowing your parents are unhappy with you (assuming there is a healthy parent-child relationship in place). -JD
Although there are times when I feel like I could inflict corporal punishment on a student, I know I could never actually go through with it. I just couldn't hit another person unless I had no other way out. With my students , that is not the case. My own children went to a parochial school that no doubt subscribed to Dobson's theory( Thank Goodness, they never needed spanked) but I cannot buy into a concept that says we strike another person in the name of "love" and with something other than your hand? What are the choices? I cringe to think of them. I think many of the students we have discipline problems with know no other means of discipline but being spanked or hit. They don't respond to any other discipline, but schools perpetuating that situation is not the answer.Physically hurting someone only teaches people that when they are the bigger person they can get people to do what they want by hurting them . What a vicious cycle! N. Meeker
-Although my childhood schools never used corporal punishment (that I can remember) and I began teaching just five years ago, there might be times when we as a society have gone too far from corporal punishment. While growing up my father was more physical with my brothers than society would allow today. I will admit, however, that it worked for me. Fear was a good motivator for me to keep on the right path. Today if you swat your two year old on the but, through a diaper, when they are reaching for the hot stove, some would consider that excessive. Some young people today consider it corporal punishment to be told "no" they can't do or have something. There might still be a time and place for corporal punishment to a degree. C. Watson
When I was in grade school they still used paddling as a punishment for students who misbehaved very badly. I remember that one particular boy in my grade recieved paddlings more than anyone else. I do not think the punishment was cruel, but in his case, I think it was uneffective. He brushed it off as non-consequential and a fast. Paddling only takes a few mintues, but a detention takes forever. That was his philosophy. --K. Mills
I remember when I was in grade school I was paddled a lot for talking. Little did the teacher or I know about a hearing problem that I had because of a childhood illness. I was caught for talking and I often thought it was unfair because the other classmates were talking too. I was caught because I was loud and was often sent to the principal’s office. Corporeal punishment was used but it didn’t teach an appropriate alternative behavior or looked into the cause of a behavior. Today, most schools are not allowed to use corporeal punishment and have to look unto other behavior management techniques and root causes of problems. P Graham
I have never been exposed to corporal punishment in any school setting. Recently at the school I teach at several teachers were reminising on the "good old days" of corporal punishment. Apparently until recently (1980's) they were allowed to paddle students as a punishment. --Chris Royer--
In my house, we do spank. But I also agree with Dobson that it should never be with anger. Whenever my son does something that warrants a spank, I try to give a little time between the act and the spank. Usually what my wife and I do is wait about five minutes (he is in time out at that time) and then explain why he is getting a spank. After he calms down, we ask why he was spanked. He has never once replied "because you were mad at me". He has always came up with the correct conclusion. Nick Chatterton
I really don’t believe in corporal punishment in schools, however, the namby-pamby approach we use with lunch detentions seems ludicrous with some of our kids. It seems like there could be a bit more we could use, like a community service situation, to help correct them better. Nick Chatterton
I am a big advocate of disciplining a child but not in the school. I was in elementary school in the 80's and coporal punishent was in then. I was a good student so I really didn't get that type of punishment much but when I did, it was embarassing. Back then, Leather paddles where used instead of wooden one. I thought it was normal and still do just because I grew up that way. In my household, my mother did whoop me or spank me (whatever you will), and most of the time when she did it was out of love because she wanted me to be a disciplined and obedient child. She did hit me out of anger once and I stopped breathing for minute, but after that, she never hit me again, not even out of love. She was scared, not of DCFS but of her own strength. Till this day, I think her disciplining me worked out for the best and with school as well because I have respect for my elders and I do well in school. The down side is that I now condone spankings. It may not be a bad thing but I have my mother's strength so even if I where to spank, I wouldn't because I don't want to hurt any child. I will just find another effective way of disciplining. Any suggestions? Ty Martin
There were three of us all within 2-3 yrs. of eachother. I can honestly say we were a handful and always fought with eachother. My parents used to spank us with a belt, but one day my dad let the belt buckle slip and it hit me in the head. Ever since then he never used the belt. He felt really bad that he left a mark. I think with proper parenting and the right techniques, parents can get the point across.--M.Hicks
Coming from a culture that used to allow corporal punishment, my entire adolescent school life is filled with memories of corporal punishment. Not that I was a mischievous child in any sense. It’s just that there was more of a collective punishment. For example, in my middle school I went to (in one of the poorest neighborhood in my hometown), each class was competing with other classes. When our class GPA fell below all other classes in monthly tests, regardless of individual achievements, all of us in the class would line up in the hallway, assume a "push-up" position with our feet resting high on the window sill and our hands on the floor. We’d stay like that until everyone was whipped three times. This was only the beginning. We would then team up with three kids in a row, squat down on the floor, hands on the other guy’s shoulders, and then march like ducks across the hall, then walk up the stairs from the first floor to the third floor, and then make five laps maintaining this "duck-walk" position. We would get exhausted that day, and find ourselves in pain when walking up and down the stairs.
But, then again, I did witness many instances of harsh individual punishment. Some students walking around the classroom when the bell rang found themselves being slapped at, (edited for content) across the classroom. Well, then there’s the personal experiences. One, which I still remember is when I got whipped with pipe just for dozing off during a free-study session. There’s probably a lot more I can contribute about the experiences I’ve had or witnessed, but you get the idea. I can’t say that this is a direct effect, but I always get extremely nervous when I present in front of others. I can never shake it off. But coming back to the issue of corporal punishment: this should never ever happen in schools, period. (If someone finds this comment too harsh, please delete it by all means) --D. Kim
In kindergarten, I remember the principal getting on the intercom and announcing that he was about to paddle one of my classmates. We all sat in silence as we heard the whacks. I remember a sense of fear from that moment on. I do not know if this was a common practice, but it really made an impression on me, since it is the only thing that I remember from kindergarten. Even though this scenario might not be commonplace, it serves to remind us of how systems of corporal punishment can be abused. I really do not think that corporal punishment belongs in schools. All children are different and parents know what is best for their own unique child, so I think that they should decide whether or not corporal punishment is warranted. --Mindy Waters
Look at the map on www.stophitting.com [5]. Notice that most of the states that currently allow Corporal Punishment are the former Confederate states. The same states that allowed slavery and later had segregation and Jim Crow laws are the states that currently allow Corporal Punishment. Is there a possible connection between the two? -John N. Janowiak
I was amazed at the fact that there are schools that still have corporal punishment, but I can see how it would lead to less misbehavior in the school setting. I am sure that if a student knew they would get paddled or spanked that it would definitely affect whether or not they would misbehave. I will definitely have to look more into this subject. It is very interesting to me. Nick Hartz
I am not a parent but I hope to never have to spank my children. Spanking was used as a for of discipline when I was a child, but my parents mostly did it out of anger when we acted out. I don't think it was very effective because they wouldn't sit us down and really try to make us explain why they used that form of punishment. It was used more as a scare tactic. I am not saying my parents are bad parents, but I'm just saying that I dont think it was very effective as a way to discipline us. We just focused more on not getting caught doing something bad rather then stopping bad behaviour. S Peduzzi
As a young boy growing up in a Catholic Children's Home (Orphanage), I was taught that any indiscretion or minor/major "sin" was cause for punishment. Most punishments had to do with the nuns striking your hands with rulers, or belittling you in front of the class. But as the "sins" became more frequent, the punishments became harsher. This would include detentions, Church "duties", and more severe punishments from the Priests that were ultimately in charge. For me, most of the punisments, including the spankings, did little more than allow me to have a higher standing with my peers as a "rebel". As time went on, I just became more rebellious, and finally quit school in the 10th grade. Today, I have come to believe that there are times when corporal punishment is necessary in order to modify behavior, and in this regard, I agree with Dobson. However, when used too often and with little indiscretion, I also believe that corporal punishment serves to make the affected student adopt a certian level of learned helplessness. In this regard, the student builds a "reputation" of being a troublemaker, therefore he/she is the student that will recieve the harshest punishment regardless of their level of guilt in a given infraction. Patrick Johnson
I attended elementary school in the 70's when corporal punishment was allowed. I was a very meek and for the most part compliant child, if a teacher ever gave me a "funny" look, I felt embarrassed and guilty. I never wanted to get in trouble, but one spring day, my friend and I took our coats off at recess. One teacher told us not to take them off, we procceeded to ask another teacher who gave us permission and we took off our coats. The first teacher saw us with our coats off and not only punished us, but took us into the building and we were paddled! To this day, I scratch my head in disbelief that I was paddled for taking my coat off! One teacher can have a bad day and take it out on a student. What offenses constitute such harsh actions? It would be very difficult to discern which behaviors would be punishable by corporal punishment. So, this is why I don't believe in the use of corporal punishment. Gay Cabutti
I was disciplined with corporal punishment by my parents, an elementary teacher, and one of my middle school teachers. When I look back on the experiences I think that the punishment stopped the behavior that, however the punishment also caused me to believe that if I did everything correctly and never made mistakes I would not be punished. The punishment made me fearful and sad, which effected my perception of myself and how I would avoid any type of confrontation seeking to please others in order to avoid any other punishment. The corporal punishment I experienced is in most cases agressive and impulsive which is usually a first response to misbehavior as opposed to a reflective measure used at the exhaustion of every other possible alternative. I believe that corporal punishment teaches children that you can get others to do what you want if you can intimidate them enough. During my first year of teaching one of my students parents asked if our school used corporal punishment because he said that corporal punishment would solve his childs misbehavior in the classroom. I was saddened by this parent's belief that physical pain would be the answer to his childs' misbehavior. ~ C. Hatchett
I attended a grade school that used corporal punishment. It was rarely used, because it was rarely needed. When the principal had to "whip" someone, he would open the doors of every classroom and paddle the student so the entire school could hear it. (My school was a small one.) It is too bad that our society has developed in such a way that parents disciplining their children physically are frowned upon. I am a firm believer in "spare the rod, spoil the child". I firmly believe that there is a difference between abuse and discipline. Our gradeschool had very few discipline issues back then. The principal is still there and he can no longer use corporal punishment. The discipline problems rage rampant. ~J. Herrmann
I am a mother of three children and I have used corporal punishment when necessary in order to discipline my children. There are so much misconception on corporal punishment. Many of us who have used it successfully know that it is not to be used in anger, it is not to be abusive, and it is done with love. If one has read "Dare to Discipline" by James Dobson, you'll see that corporal punishment is to be used only when all else fails. Also, he strongly discourages corporal punishment on any children over the age of six. In any situation, I believe in finding middle ground and not swinging extremely on one side than the other. As with corporal punishment, we as parents and teachers need to find a middle ground. That is, it should never be used as first and only method of discipline, but rather, as the last resort after having exhausted all the other methods and options of discipline for the child. A. Shin
I was hit when i was a kid, not anything major, just a few slaps on the back of the head. My parents did it out of a loss of patience rather than a disciplinary method and I think this is why corporal punishment should not be used. Many parents cannot separate their emotion from the punishment and honestly it just taught me to be sneaky and hit my younger sister when she annoyed me because mommy and daddy did it. I am against it for many reasons but that is my own personal opinion and everyone else feels differently. If someone wants to spank their children fine, its none of my business but corporal punishment should not be used in school because not every parent agrees with it. Speaking as a parent would you want someone to physically harm your children out of your sight? The thought of it is disgusting to me. It's up to the parents to decide how their kids are brought up, not the school board, a teacher's job is to teach not discipline, leave that to the parents. C. Berrardi
I worked in a school district in Ohio during the 1970's that allowed corporal punishment. In fact, the teacher I team-taught with for eight years had a paddle and displayed it prominently. There was some short paperwork to fill out and a witness (another school district employee) had to be present during a paddling. We taught third, fourth and sixth grade during those years and she paddled someone once or twice each year. This experience sealed my aversion to the practice. I never did so myself. Paddling someone is an easy, quick and effective (at least momentarily) way to deal with a problem. However, it does not help in the long run and I believe causes more problems than it solves. Paddling a child causes resentment, hurts the ego and "draws battle lines". The children I knew that were paddled did not change their long-term behavior in a positive way. The children I saw make long lasting changes for the better were ones that were helped, listened to and encouraged while being held responsible for their actions in ways other than corporal punishment. Paddling teaches the entire class that if you are more powerful you can hurt someone. and that physically hurting someone is the answer to a problem. We owe our students more than that. We should be modeling behavior we want students to emulate, teaching students to value every individual and to work in positive ways to resolve problems. - Pam Olivito
I have never been teaching in a school that allows paddling but if teachers and administartors were still allowed to use this form of punishment I think that there would be more respect fro teachers and adults. I also think that parents should be able to paddle their children also. I am not advocating abuse until your child bleeds or hurt to the point of doing to the doctor, but this type of punishment will make students think more before they act. Nic D.
[edit] References and other links of interest
Hymen, I. and Wise, J. (1979). Corporal punishment in American education: readings in history, practice, and alternatives. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Walsh, K. (1991). Discipline for character development. Alabama: R. E. P. Books. Erikson, E. (1950). Childhood and society. New York: W. W. Norton.
Friedman, A. and Friedman, D. (1977). Parenting: a developmental process. Pediatric Annual, 6, 564-578.
www.silcon.com/~ptave/hands.htm.Corporal punishment to children's hands. Maurer, A. (1976). Personal communication.
a site to help end corporal punishment http://www.endcorporalpunishment.org/
facts about corporal punishment http://www.stophitting.com/disatschool/facts.php
Corporal punishment resources http://www.vachss.com/help_text/corporal_punishment.html
National and international information on corporal punishment in schools and other social arenas. [[6]]
