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Corporal Punishment in Schools
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Many countries have and continue to fight a crusade against corporal punishment in schools while some people see nothing wrong with corporal punishment.
In the US, more than 50% of the people see nothing wrong with corporal punishment and I believe forty-something percent see nothing wrong with it in schools. In 23 of the 50 states, it is still legal to paddle a student and according to the U.S. Department of Education, approximately 400,000 children are hit each year in public schools alone—and that number is a recorded decrease. I think that number is preposterous.
In Britain, I’m not sure how many people approve of corporal punishment in general, however 50% of parents want to see it brought back to public schools. I’m sorry I don’t have more numbers, but I live in America and therefore am more acquainted with data pertaining to the US.
I’m a fence sitter when it comes to hitting a child in general. Sometimes I think, it is okay, however I doubt that I’d implement that with my own children (when I have children), other times I’m against it because I think too many parents go too far and cross the line of child abuse. However, regardless of which side of the fence I’m sitting on, on both sides it makes me uneasy that there are people who approve of it in schools because personally, I don’t think that it is a teacher’s place to hit an other person’s child.
It would be criminal to use this type of punishment in prisons, people would scream, “cruel and unusual punishment,” however it is still legal in schools?
What do you think?
In the US, more than 50% of the people see nothing wrong with corporal punishment and I believe forty-something percent see nothing wrong with it in schools. In 23 of the 50 states, it is still legal to paddle a student and according to the U.S. Department of Education, approximately 400,000 children are hit each year in public schools alone—and that number is a recorded decrease. I think that number is preposterous.
In Britain, I’m not sure how many people approve of corporal punishment in general, however 50% of parents want to see it brought back to public schools. I’m sorry I don’t have more numbers, but I live in America and therefore am more acquainted with data pertaining to the US.
I’m a fence sitter when it comes to hitting a child in general. Sometimes I think, it is okay, however I doubt that I’d implement that with my own children (when I have children), other times I’m against it because I think too many parents go too far and cross the line of child abuse. However, regardless of which side of the fence I’m sitting on, on both sides it makes me uneasy that there are people who approve of it in schools because personally, I don’t think that it is a teacher’s place to hit an other person’s child.
It would be criminal to use this type of punishment in prisons, people would scream, “cruel and unusual punishment,” however it is still legal in schools?
What do you think?
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Comments
I honestly dont know about corporal punishment in schools. UK schools have lost all sense of discipline whatsoever and our schools and education system are worse than they have been for maybe 150 years.
The current system is obviously not working. The touchy feeling attempts of the social workers have totally screwed up this country. Maybe a change is in order.
So that leaves me with no point to make <IMG SRC="rolleyes.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
But one thing I do know: good parenting is key to discipline in schools.
If society decides that corporal punishment is acceptable then there is your answer.
If prisoners would actually respond to being taken to the wardens office and given 3-5 swats there is no doubt in my mind that we would use it. The threat of swats keeps most kids out of trouble. The ones that are not detoured by the threat often change their minds after their first experience. Even if the pain doesn't phase him, having to walk back into class with red, puffy, teary eyes usually does the trick. Who wants to suffer that once, let alone twice (this also tends to have a sobering effect on the other would-be trouble-makers in the class).
As an aside, this is one of the wonderful things about decentralized government. Don't like corporal punishment laws in your state? Move to one that has ones you prefer.
I personally think its one of the most idiotic things going. I fail to see how pain will ever cause correction in behaviour; all it will do is serve to further disillusion the child in question and make them want to rebel against authority further.
Some kids may even be made more likely to misbehave just to receive it, if they are attention seeking or want to gain sympathy.
Basically, its on a par with stoning people in public, and a lot of the right-wingers here would be first to condemn that when carried out in Muslim countries (not to suggest that I don't condemn it).
1 offence = 1 strike
2 offences = 2 strikes
3 offences = 4 strikes
and so on
Worked on my dad so it can't be bad!!!
The education system 150 years ago was pathetic and even more recently my grandparents all left scholl at 14 with very little education, we have had it pretty damn good really
Corporal punishment is shocking, think about the 'naughty' people when you were at school, how would they have responded to being beaten, methinks it would NOT have made them less naughty and probably would have made them hate school even more
The people on this website are not representative of the UK population. They are representative of those intelligent or educated enough to be computer and internet literate.
If you are honestly saying that we dont have a crisis in our education system today then you have your head in the sand.
PS, the 'naughty' people in my school were too busy hitting the teachers with chairs or kicking the shit out of them to take any notice of anything. If the teachers did anything they were threatened with a knifing.
If any teacher (or anyone else for that matter) laid a hand on a child or grandchild of mine then they would have to deal with me.
I agree, however, that discipline is crutial to education...if you have an incoragable troublemaker then expell them so that those who want to learn can.
Assaults on teachers in schools are just not acceptable...throw the bums out...let the criminal justice system deal with them.
<IMG SRC="eek.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
ROFLMAO...Never, EVER thought id hear you reeling off a standard liberal soundbyte like that Diesel.
Its illegal in all uk schools, not just state schools, and it was a conscious decision to make it so. There is noone who can justify beating a child because theyre misbehaved...you wouldnt belt a adult in case the belted you back, and you woukdnt belt a prisoner because it is (rightly) condemned as barbaric, and something only a third-world country would see as ok.
Expel the troublemakers, and put them in a detention centre if theyve been expelled for being violent. Itd sort the problems out.
No it just causes more, at least a token attempt at rehabilitation and at the very least a damn good spanking before we throw them to the eternal damnation of the CJS <IMG SRC="eek.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
A well armed liberal democrat...who is totally disgusted with the treasionous conduct of his party!
Anyone laying a hand on a child or grandchild of mine risks suffering serious violence from the childs whole family! Furthermore, the children are taught to defend themselves from just such conduct from anyone.
The problem that I see in the ol pirate kingdom is a loss of identity...parents pass that on to the children who respond by acting up...that is why god mad armies, navies and such...as for prisons...they only generate a criminal fifth column element that can't be overcome by society...makes an excellent argument for colonization...eh?
<img src="http://www.cegunshows.com/smokinggun_md_wht.gif" alt="image">
Honestly, I never thought that I’d agree with corporal punishment in schools, but I agree with that statement somewhat <IMG SRC="eek.gif" border="0" ALT="icon"> . That’s scary, but moving on <IMG SRC="wink.gif" border="0" ALT="icon"> …
Does anyone think that the parents who advocate for bringing corporal punishment back to schools or, as in the case of some places in the US, retain it, are parents who are trying to put their responsibility of raising their child on someone else?
They are also the parents who are the first to complain when their child is involved in some sort of bad behaviour, blaming everyone but themselves.
I am a firm believer that problems start in the home...and the worst curse that can come to a child is a broken home. And yes, I speak from experience. I grew up in an era when corporal punishment was allowed in public schools...and saw first hand how unevenly it was applied...and had some teachers who absolutely refused to use it as a 'teaching' aid! When I was very young I went to a military school run by the catholics...the nuns who were the teachers were sadistic and brutal to young boys and for the least notion of an infraction...to this day I despise the whole lot of them and the stepfather that caused me to go there and be so abused.
The truth is that there are better ways but they don't come easy or without a price...children are wonderful little people who learn from what you teach them...not from what someone tries to beat into them.
Nuf said.
Oh W <IMG SRC="eek.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">W! I actually agree with Diesel on something! <IMG SRC="biggrin.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
Corporal punishment should never be brought back.
I think that it would be a good idea that once a child gets to a certain age (somewhere 11-14 maybe) to stop making education compulsory. That way classrooms aren't filled with disruption from people who don't want to be there. Kids don't like doing things they *have* to do, if it's their choice I think you'll find they'll try harder.
Just a thought.
In the US, schools still do this, particularly within the Bible Belt. Parents try to bring along lawsuits, but the courts almost always vote in the schools’ favor. President Bush almost passed something that would make a parent’s chances to win in court even lower, however it caused such a ruckus that it ended up being scrapped.
Some schools are deciding to finally stop, however although a majority of parents are against corporal punishment in schools, there are many vocal parents for it. It’s up to the local and state governments to decide whether it’s abolished or not.
I agree that there are alternatives that ought to be implemented.
When school isn’t compulsory after such a young age, society stops paying so much for education and ends up paying through the nose for ignorance. That is opening Pandora’s Box, once again.
School teaches certain life lessons such as once in a while, you won’t be able to make your own schedule, you may have to listen to someone else, you may have to do things you don’t like to do. The fact that we "have to" is what teaches us these life lessons.
I don’t like flirting with the idea of bending in to a bunch of people who want to give up because they lack the self-discipline to stick with their education although it is not the most fun thing in the world.
16.
Allowing people to drop out before that is foolish and will cause more problems.
in the case of my dad, he was beaten every day at school by one of his teachers who didnt like him because he didnt like his older brother! he beat my dad every morning because `he would need it later on and he might be busy then`!! my dad turned out to be very violent to my mother and brother (never me though) its interesting that he beat my brother for the same reasons as he was beaten at school, ie he beat him into submission to make him behave rather than smacked him when he did something naughty.
by giving teachers the right to use coporal punishment, you allow a child to be hit by someone who doesnt even love them, you dont know what perverse power trips they may be on.
I doubt that teachers have been using corporal punishment to show students that they love or care for them and I seriously doubt that is how is came across to students.
I guess that can be used as an argument against parents implementing corporal punishment though.
I think corporal punishment is primitive and misguided. Speaking as someone who's still in the education system, corporal punishment isn't needed. What's needed are better teachers. There's a teacher in my school, and when he walks in the room everyone shuts up, and stands up - thugs and dunces included. Giving staff the right to hit people allows them to escape from learning how to control a class and allows them to shortcut a way to silencing a pupil.
<img src="http://www.shropshirevts.com/greentag.gif" alt="image">
Corporal punishment in the home I feel is ok. I was smacked as a child, and I feel that it did me very little harm and a lot of good. I've seen my sisters growing up, and I know that they are not smacked excessively, and only for good cause.
However there are parents who do not.... *struggles to phrase this correctly*.... smack wisely. Maybe the government should issue guidelines rather than making it completely illegal?
(edited because most of this was illegible)
[ 20-05-2002: Message edited by: lil_kazzy ]
I think the current system is fine, I think it is fairly easy to distinguish the difference between discipline and abuse........
what about smacking? is 'smacking' a child a form of abuse? is smacking a child with an implement abuse? where does things like smacking stop being discipline and become abuse?
i was 'smacked' cept it was abuse. ubt i never considered it abuse because 'smakcing' is acceptable in the UK.