Use of Corporal Punishment in School

As the United States progresses both socially and politically, the traditional use of Corporal Punishment has lost its effectiveness and has seen a decline in acceptance across the nation. Despite the case of Ingraham v. Wright (1977), where The Supreme Court ruled Corporal Punishment is allowed by teachers, new, more effective, and less damaging disciplinary methods have since been created that safely punish students, preventing the outdated, painful, and often traumatic punishment.

“Spanking is Ineffective and Harmful to Children, Pediatricians say” The title of this New York Times Article may seem simple, but it speaks volumes. The American Academy of Pediatrics, which consists of over 67,000 doctors, concluded that spanking causes more disciplinary issues than it fixes (NY Times). The physical abuse, which can occur against students of all ages, is shown to raise chances of aggression, defiance, anxiety, and abusive tendencies in those who are punished. As children grow and develop, their emotional life forms from previous experiences. Psychology Today says that corporal punishment activates the wrong emotions the punisher is looking to address, instead causing further problems for the individual being punished. Distress, fear, shame, and anger are emotional responses to Corporal Punishment, all of which jeopardize a healthy emotional future when provoked in such a traumatic way. Aside from the mental scarring that Corporal Punishment leaves, the physical consequences are also serious matters. Corporal Punishment is defined as “the use of force to cause pain, but not injury, for the purpose of correction or control (Straus and Stewart 1999). The difference between causing pain and injury is almost indistinguishable and there is no general agreement on where the dividing line lies (MSD.GOVT). This often leads physical abuse to be dismissed as Corporal Punishment, as teachers and other adults are allowed to punish students at their own discretion. Injuries range from slight bruising to broken bones, both of which violate the definition of Corporal Punishment, and create an uncomfortable and dangerous atmosphere for students.

Even though the fact that around 60% of adults agree with the use of Corporal Punishment (TIME), this does not make it safe or beneficial to those being punished. The overwhelming consensus of scientists says that Corporal Punishment causes nothing, but harm, and just leads to more problems. Instead of Corporal Punishment, less violent methods of discipline could be used, such as taking away certain privileges, “time out” type actions, or even rewarding good behavior contrary to punishing bad.

Works Cited

Caron, Christina. “Spanking Is Ineffective and Harmful to Children, Pediatricians’ Group Says.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Nov. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/11/05/health/spanking-harmful-study-pediatricians.html?rref=collection/timestopic/Corporal Punishment&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=collection.

“Why Physical Punishment Does Not Work.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/great-kids-great-parents/201404/why-physical-punishment-does-not-work.

Worland, Justin. “Pope Francis Corporal Punishment: Americans Agree Its Ok.” Time, Time, 6 Feb. 2015, time.com/3698779/pope-corporal-punishment/.

[email protected]. “The State of Research on the Effects of Physical Punishment.” Ministry of Social Development, www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/journals-and-magazines/social-policy-journal/spj27/the-state-of-research-on-effects-of-physical-punishment-27-pages114-127.html.