Why Are 19 States Still Allowing Corporal Punishment In Schools?

“Why Are 19 States Still Allowing Corporal Punishment In Schools?” was published on October 17, 2016 in the neaToday.org website. The NEA is against corporal punishment, and Tim Walker composed this article questioning the reasoning of why over one-third of the United States still allow the use of corporal punishment as a disciplinary tool in its schools.

In 1977, the United States Supreme Court in its ruling of Ingraham v. Wright, ruled that corporal punishment was legal and not considered cruel and unusual punishment (www.britannica.com/event/Inraham-v-Wright). The author of this article wondered if the nineteen states that allow corporal punishment were actually using the practice. It is a good question to consider, since many local

Spanking gets an immediate reaction from a child, which can also send a signal to the student, the teacher, and the parent that a certain type of behavior will not be tolerated. Sometimes however, the student will not understand why they were spanked, or react to the punishment negatively. Students who are abused at home may see the punishment as abuse at school, and emotionally and/or physically shut down in the school environment. The article suggests spanking is over-used, and questions the legitimacy of using this tactic for cell phone violations, inappropriate language, running in hallways, sleeping in class, and failing to turn in homework. An administrator who chooses to use corporal punishment should take the offense into great consideration. Speaking with a child, to invoke empathy or even shame from the student, works in many cases to get a point across. The author contradicts himself when he suggests fighting, drunkenness, and bullying could be cause for spanking. Those against corporal punishment say spanking will entice or encourage a student to use physical violence against someone in the

It can serve as a deterrent, showing a student who is in control at school, in a swift, cost-effective manner. On the other side, it is sometimes used unnecessarily and may create an unsafe environment for a student. One must be careful in protecting a student’s self-esteem and counsel carefully why corporal punishment is going to be administered before the disciplinary action is used. Knowing the student and his/her background is a must, as an administrator would not want to continue with an abusive-act towards a student who was already being abused at home. Corporal punishment is an effective disciplinary tool, when used properly can have great results. One must weigh all the pros and cons in each individual situation carefully before deciding to use this tool on a student, and make sure there is written policy outlining the use of corporal punishment in its board