Advocates for the elimination of corporal punishment seem to be most effective when they are able to shame school boards and legislators into action by exposing the worst examples of beating and other physical abuse.
Advocates for the elimination of corporal punishment also point to many respected professional organizations such as American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry which have come out solidly against corporal punishment.
Corporal punishment is about power - the power of a stronger person over a weaker one, the power of an adult over a child. Banning corporal punishment removes fear from the class room. It eliminates a source for potential violence. It seeks to break the cycle of abuse which has been around far too long in the opinion of the abolitionists.
Eliminating corporal punishment removes a disciplinary tool, which if used wisely and within established guidelines, can be very effective at teaching a child the difference between right and wrong."I spank my child when he is naughty, so why can't a teacher who is acting in loco parentis do the same when my child misbehaves at school? After all, I want my child to learn consistently that certain kinds of behavior are just not acceptable." That's the essence of the argument put forward by some proponents of controlled corporal punishment. In other words, they want corporal punishment to be retained but used sparingly and only in the most extreme situations.
The expression 'spare the rod and spoil the child' is not biblical, yet Christian fundamentalists cite it as evidence that God somehow approves of beating. While similar verses can be found in Proverbs 13:24 and 29:15, the actual line was penned by Samuel Butler in his poem Hudibras. Many religious fundamentalists, not just Christian ones, feel strongly that children must be taught to obey rules, laws and authority, so that they will grow up to be law abiding, responsible members of society.
Corporal punishment is legal in twenty-one states precisely because the majority of those states' residents want it that way.
Where It Stands
Because of all the distractions with the economy and other issues, abolishing corporate punishment in American schools proceeds at a snail's pace in 2009. Things move even slower in the southern states where black students are beaten more than white students. It must be noted that paddling seems to drop off once a school principal who favors the practice retires.America cannot hold itself up as a shining example of civil and human rights when state laws still permit small children to be beaten. The forces of conservatism must compromise with society's need for freedom of expression and individual rights. I remain convinced that banning corporal punishment will permit our society to grow and flourish in ways it simply cannot do with laws permitting violence against children on the books.
Resources
