Spanking in schools?

Do you know your school’s rules on corporal punishment? Amazingly, it might be allowed. That’s right: In many schools, teachers are allowed to strike or spank children to discipline them.

New Mexico just narrowly passed a ban on spanking in public schools. It joins 30 other states which had already banned the practice. That leaves 19 that have not. Many individual districts have existing bans, but not all.

I had no idea spanking, or any form of corporal punishment, was still legal in any school. Frankly, I’m shocked. I personally think all spanking should be outlawed. But even if it isn’t, surely it’s not something that should be allowed in schools.

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“If you aren’t bruising the child you’re not spanking the child enough.”

Would it surprise you to find out the above quote comes from a pastor as he preached to a congregation?

It does. The quote was just one of several played in shocking audiotapes featured on last night’s 20/20 on ABC. A woman who grew up in an Independent Fundamental Baptist Church – or IFB – claimed church leaders would tell members God wants them to beat children as young as two weeks old. Why? “Crying too much. That cry is a cry of the will and that will needs to be broken.” You can hear the pastor shout “How many whacks is irrelevant, you might need 100 strikes. That’s what the bible speaks about.”

There are thousands of IFB churches across the United States and hundreds of thousands of members. They’re ultra-conservative, interpreting the bible literally -  which is how they justify child abuse. Continue reading »

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Spanking a surprising side-effect of father depression.

Experts are starting to recognize what many families have known firsthand: that men and partners are susceptible to post-partum depression, too.

A new study on fathers found that men who experienced some type of baby blues were at some significant risk of spanking their 1-year-olds. Continue reading »

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Is a Jackson, MS high school coach out of bounds?

A Jackson, MS high school basketball coach is on leave as he awaits the findings of an investigation brought about by serious allegations made against him by three of his players. According to the them, Marlon Dorsey whipped the boys with a leather weightlifting belt last month during one of the team’s practices for running plays incorrectly. The players have formally filed a lawsuit against their coach.

While the Murray High School coach hasn’t specifically address the allegations about the whippings, he did admit to paddling students. Given that corporal punishment has been banned by Jackson public schools, the matter would seem to be an open-and-shut case. Surprisingly, it’s not.

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A Boston-area junior high assistant principal is facing scrutiny from parents for espousing corporal punishment in his role as pastor of Calvary Chapel Cape Cod. 

Silas Coellner, a 40-year-old father of three, said in an online podcast for the church that spanking is “critical” and that parents should begin physically disciplining their children as soon as they are old enough to crawl.  “There’s something about when they reach that crawling stage,” he says, “when you can suddenly see that heart of defiance, of rebellion for the first time. That’s when you begin.” Continue reading »

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In three separate studies led by the University of North Carolina Injury Prevention Research Center, researchers have taken an in-depth look at corporal punishment around the world.  What they found, according to Desmond Runyan, lead author of one of the studies, is that “harsh treatment of children is epidemic in all communities.”  Continue reading »

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Recent studies have shown that most parents have turned away from corporal punishment as a way to discipline their children.  Sadly, many schools have not.  In 20 states, public school students continue to be hit by their teachers for offenses big and small.  But now, for the first time in 18 years, Congress is talking about the use of corporal punishment in schools and considering outlawing the practice.

Corporal punishment is defined by the National Association of School Nurses as “the intentional infliction of physical pain as a method of changing behavior. It may include methods such as hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, pinching, shaking, use of various objects (paddles, belts, sticks, or others), or painful body postures.”

If that description makes you cringe, it should.  Even incarcerated criminals are protected by law from being physically abused by those in a position of authority over them.  But for many of our kids, there is no such protection.  According to a report by the U.S Department of Education, over 200,000 students were victims of corporal punishment in U.S. public schools during the 2006-2007 school year.

Not only do we treat children worse than criminals when it comes to legalized physical assault, we pretty much stand alone in doing so.  102 countries, including Canada, Australia, Europe and the UK, have outlawed corporal punishment in schools.  And the list of organizations who oppose it in the U.S. is long and includes the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and the American Civil Liberties Union.

The reason other countries have outlawed it and experts oppose it is because it is just plain wrong.  The American Psychological Association says corporal punishment may do far more than inflict physical pain.  It may lower self-esteem, instill hostility and teach children that physical violence is a acceptable problem-solving tool.

So, wouldn’t you agree that it is time to put an end to this barbaric practice?  If you are not sure, check out The Center for Effective Discipline for more information.  And take note:  In a few weeks, New York State Representative Carolyn McCarthy will introduce a bill banning corporal punishment in U.S. Schools.  Let your state representative know how you feel.

Image: Jason O’Halloran/Flickr

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