chedstone.com

I had no idea that it was still OK to spank or otherwise discipline students physically (spanking and paddling) in the United States.  Apparently in many states it is, including (surprise) Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, and literally the whole South-Eastern United States where it is used quite frequently.  Last year over 220,000 students received corporal punishment.

According to a report by CNN, African-American students are almost twice as likely to receive corporal punishment as are students with mental and physical disabilities.

CNN has a poll on their site that asks, “Should corporal punishment be banned in schools?” Surprisingly enough, the people who say that it shouldn’t be banned are winning 57% to 43%. Go vote yes!

Physical abuse doesn’t teach the child why what they did was wrong.  More often then not, in my experience, it causes a child to be more rebellious and makes them fear authority instead of respect authority.  In addition, many adults who administer physical abuse as punishment have difficulty controlling their own anger and end up taking it out on the child.  It’s a dangerous way to discipline children.  We need more counselors in these schools where they are hitting children.

I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear that James Dobson, the douche-bag from Focus on the Family, is in favor of beating children in grade school, but believes it to be ineffective for high school students.

A parent in Alpine, Texas who approached the principal and superintendent of her child’s school where her son was beat said that administrators believe “most parents like this because it takes care of the punishment. It gets the kids back in class. It doesn’t disrupt instruction. It’s like the quick and dirty way of dealing with discipline problems.”

Not OK America.

(via CNN.com)