Corporal Punishment in Schools

Abstract

Corporal punishment is legal in private schools all over the United States, and also in 19 states. Moreover, the instances of corporal punishment in private schools are not reported to the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. For public schools, it is reported, however the number of instances this form of discipline was used on a single student is not counted in the data, nor reported to the Department of Education. This is not only a reflection of religious views, it continues in direct opposition to the research data and global consensus on hitting children. The global community and most other countries have adopted laws banning all forms of corporal punishment, including in schools. That this is a solid and culturally accepted form of child-rearing and education suggests Americans value abusing youth as a way of inculcating them in cultural practices. Since the use of corporal punishment in schools is disproportionately used against Black students, boys, and those with special education program eligibility, it is used as a form of intersectional discrimination and abuse.