Corporal Punishment in Schools

[Godwynn]

Blue indicates that corporal punishment is illegal in schools, red indicates that corporal punishment is still legal.

Is the South just backwards? Should corporal punishment still be legal? How often should a teacher be allowed to paddle a child?

 

[G-Max]

is the south just backwards?

omg no wai!!!

 

[civver_764]

I didn't even know Indiana still had it but yes it should definitely not be allowed.

 

[_random_]

How often should a teacher be allowed to paddle a child?

Talking out of turn? That's a paddling. Looking out the window? That's a paddling. Staring at his sandals? That's a paddling. Paddling the school canoe? Oh, you'd better believe that's a paddling.

 

[emzie]

Basically every organization representing psychologists, pediatricians and doctors opposes corporal punishment, claiming actual data shows it to be ineffective at best.

However I really don't care either way, even with that knowledge.

An interesting secondary question is corporal punishment at home. You could throw a mountain of data and literature at me and I'd still not budge that it's not a bad thing when used sparingly. Emotional responses are funny things.

 

[Tani Coyote]

In schools, I find the concept awkward but am indifferent.

Though really, discipline is the domain of the parents.

---

At home, corporal punishment is okay if it's used sparingly and doesn't cause potential damage.

Punching kids = HUGE No.

Spanking them for when they curse you out = Huge Yes!

Just don't overdo it to the point they're whining for an hour. My cousin's anti-spanking because her Dad spanked her half-sister to the point she was in horrid pain for several minutes. COMPLETELY ignoring the fact it doesn't have to be that insane; I'd know, I was spanked!

 

[Tee Kay]

How often should a teacher be allowed to paddle a child?

Never.

Emotional responses are funny things.

Beating a kid is basically an emotional response...

At home, corporal punishment is okay if it's used sparingly and doesn't cause potential damage.

How would you know?

My cousin's anti-spanking because her Dad spanked her half-sister to the point she was in horrid pain for several minutes.

And how exactly do you prevent abuse like this?

 

[Tani Coyote]

How would you know?

I was spanked, as were my siblings. Need I say more?

And how exactly do you prevent abuse like this?

It only takes a few smacks to inflict the necessary pain. Doing it for minutes on end raises eyebrows, wouldn't you think?

 

[Hitti-Litti]

Note to self: corporal punishment =/= capital punishment

 

[Tani Coyote]

Note to self: corporal punishment =/= capital punishment

I believe I used to make that mistake for a while as well...

It's just better to use "death penalty" instead of capital punishment. At least when the two terms are in the same sentence. Otherwise people might misread...

 

[Tee Kay]

I was spanked, as were my siblings. Need I say more?

No, I mean, how would you know it won't cause damage. Every kid responds differently to the "treatment", and how do you ensure parents do it "sparingly".

So was I, by the way. Not the "good" kind, though; I got the kind your cousin's half sister got. So you know where I'm coming from.

It only takes a few smacks to inflict the necessary pain.

But is pain necessary?

It's just better to use "death penalty" instead of capital punishment. At least when the two terms are in the same sentence. Otherwise people might misread...

"Penalty" is also a better description of the act than "punishment". Anyway, off-topic. The mods are vicious these days.

 

[Kozmos]

Oh yes. Pain is necessary. Pain teaches. Unspanked kids = spoiled kids unless they've been boned over in another way that makes them grow up.

 

[Tee Kay]

There are no shortages of those other ways.

 

[Gigaz]

Corporal punishment against children, both by parents and schools, should be forbidden. It certainly teaches children to use violence against weaker children. They should instead learn that violence against humans is strictly forbidden and severely punished under any circumstances.

 

[Godwynn]

Oh yes. Pain is necessary. Pain teaches. Unspanked kids = spoiled kids unless they've been boned over in another way that makes them grow up.

I don't think boning kids would be any better than corporal punishment.

 

[civver_764]

If you have to resort to violence to teach your kids something then you probably shouldn't be a parent.

 

[NovaKart]

I grew up in Kentucky and I had no idea corporal punishment was still legal. I've never heard of anyone being paddled or otherwise physically punished by a teacher in my lifetime - since the 80s.

Just because it's shown as being legal in a state doesn't mean it's actually practiced. I imagine it's left up to the school board of the individual county to decide.

 

[Tani Coyote]

No, I mean, how would you know it won't cause damage. Every kid responds differently to the "treatment", and how do you ensure parents do it "sparingly".

Sparingly would be only a few swats. As soon as the child feels pain and knows why they are feeling it - they misbehaved.

Once they make the association, the act is done and anything further is abusive. Save the extra spankings for the next time they misbehave.

Physical damage is negligible since it's just a swat. If you're actually causing lasting damage, the spanking is being done wrong.

Psychological, this is why it's important to reward kids as well as establish that you do in fact love them. Excessive punishment comes off as abuse; excessive reward comes off as spoiling; striking a balance would logically make them well-rounded. Punished enough to know there are limits, rewarded enough to know that good will is earned, not given.

So was I, by the way. Not the "good" kind, though; I got the kind your cousin's half sister got. So you know where I'm coming from.

Indeed, that's a brutal form of spanking to me. You only need a few swats to get the desired effect - the child now knows what will happen if it does the bad thing again.

Just the threat of spanking is ominous after the first time, so that's a tool of discipline in and of itself.

But is pain necessary?

Pain is a last resort; normally raising your voice is enough to set the kid in line. But if they don't seem to understand "Don't do this" you need to give incentive.

I hate to use anecdotes, but let's go back to my youth. I would often dunk my cousins and siblings when we swam. I was given a timeout. It would take a few tries to get the point across, but it did. Fortunately, if this works for most children, things such as spanking are not required - time outs generally do the job.

So, the infliction of pain upon a child's rear end is really what you use when the other methods have not worked.

If you have to resort to violence to teach your kids something then you probably shouldn't be a parent.

Pain is a language every animal, no matter how intelligent or lack thereof, understands.

For older children, simply taking away toys will suffice. But for younger ones, a light spanking gets the point across.

Now normally, you should be able to scare a child straight just with your voice. But if that fails...

 

[squadbroken]

I think students should be allowed to flog teachers that do their job poorly

 

[Tani Coyote]

I always found it interesting liberals are overwhelmingly anti-corporal while conservatives are very in favor of it. Just a typical tradition vs. new approach debate, I guess?

I think students should be allowed to flog teachers that do their job poorly

...well. I did say pain incentivises, and that includes adults. After all, we live in a society where if you misbehave, you are carted away and locked in a tiny space for hours on end...

I think we found a way to make our education system better!

...well that or the kids institute mob rule and force the teacher to give them all A+s with the threat of a beating if they don't.