Shall we bring back the teacher's paddle and the Klansman's noose?

THERE IS A great deal of clamoring in certain quarters lately for restoring corporal punishment as the primary means for classroom disci- pline. Proponents are demand- ing that it's time to "bring unruly kids back into line," that we must "teach them to follow rules and respect authority," that they must "learn to obey their elders or suffer the consequences." This theme is emerging as a new rallying cry heard at school board meetings, in state and local legislatures and, I fear before long, on street corners.
....One has to wonder, where might this yearning for good ol' fashioned discipline lead? Would the next logical step be a call for restoration of the lynch mob's rope? That's not as far-fetched as it might first sound. One has only to compare a list of the top ten paddling states to a list of the top ten lynching states, and the basis for my warning becomes clear — seven states show up on both lists.
....What's behind this mindset that fuels a drive for inflicting violent punishments on the defenseless? Well, it's been around for millennia, and never far out of sight. The treatment of slaves, prisoners, soldiers, the mentally ill and wives is testimony to this deep-rooted, cherished tradition. It's fresh in our collective memory. And for many children, it's here and now.
....Schools systems that allow corporal punishment (a deceptively benign-sounding, clinical-sounding term) act as magnets and safe havens for the dangerously unfit. Put a bully, sadist or sociopath in charge of children, close the classroom door, pull the shade, and it's party time. Pity those children.
....Throughout the modern, civilized world, the teaching profession has largely purged itself of this worst-of-all afflictions. Teachers are held to a standard befitting their training as professionals, and assault and battery of children clearly isn't part of the job description. Many leading organizations that deal with children's issues have stated unequivocally that hitting children is counterproductive and should be prohibited. The list includes:

..• The National Association of School Psychologists
..• The National PTA
..• The American Academy of Pediatrics
..• The American Medical Association
..• The American Psychological Association
..• The American Public Health Association
..• The Child Welfare League of America
..• The National Association of Social Workers
..• The National Committee for the Prevention of Child .....Abuse
..• The National Mental Health Association
..• The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine
..• The American Bar Association
..• The American Civil Liberties Union
... . . and more.

....Society will always be burdened with bullies — hopefully in dwindling numbers — and bullies have an equal right to earn a living, but they should be directed into areas of employment which offer them no oppor- tunity to indulge their perverse habits.

— Jordan Riak, May 8, 2010

Parenting Expert Warns Against Physical Punishment

Corporal punishment of children has long been a topic of controversy in the United States. According to some studies, more than half of all U.S. parents condone spanking as a regular form of punishment for small children. Other studies have shown spanking to be harmful to children. So when children misbehave or act out, what should parents do? APA spoke with Alan E. Kazdin, PhD, John M. Musser professor of psychology at Yale University and director of Yale's Parenting Center and Child Conduct Clinic. He was APA’s 2008 president and is the author of many professional-audience books on child psychology and behavior.

APA: Some parents spank their child not only to punish him or her but to change their child’s behavior. Does spanking have that effect?

Dr. Kazdin: Spanking is not a very effective strategy. It does not teach children new behaviors or what to do in place of the problem behavior. It is also not useful in suppressing the problematic behavior beyond the moment. Research indicates the rate of misbehavior does not decline, in fact, the problem behavior returns, even if the parent escalates the punishment.

APA: What other types of physical punishment do some parents use?

Dr. Kazdin: The task is to help children change their behavior, and physical punishment is not needed to accomplish that. Developing positive opposite behaviors, i.e., the desired behaviors that the parent wants, is much more effective.

APA: What are some of the alternative methods for disciplining children that parents would be well-advised to employ? How do these alternative methods work? Why are they more effective? Where can parents find resources to learn these alternative methods?

Dr. Kazdin: Positive reinforcement for alternative behaviors is extremely effective. This is not just rewards or points but the use of antecedents (what comes before behavior), behavior (shaping and gradually developing, repeated practice), and consequences (e.g., specially delivered praise).There is a whole area of research (applied behavior analysis) devoted to this and some parenting books, too. See www.alankazdin.com

APA: What is the difference between physical punishment and child abuse?

Dr. Kazdin: Child abuse is defined individually by the states in the U.S. and the definitions vary—some focus on where on the body the child is hit; others focus on whether objects are used, and so on. The key issue is that moderate-to-severe physical punishment has all sorts of long-term negative consequences for the child including in the areas of academic performance and mental and physical health. One need not abuse a child to achieve those very unfortunate effects.

APA:. Are there social, environmental or economic stressors that may cause a parent or caregiver to be more likely to use physical punishment with children?

Dr. Kazdin: Yes, stressors can contribute to abuse; parent expectations for what the child can and ought to do can contribute, too. I have worked with parents who abused their infants because they would not stop crying. Another parent beat a 10-year-old boy because he forgot one item on a grocery list when he was sent to the store by himself. Both the crying and forgetting something have a technical name in psychology: They are called “normal.”

APA:. What are the effects on children who are disciplined with physical punishment? For instance, are they more likely to be aggressive with their siblings, peers or others?

Dr. Kazdin:. Research on very mild, infrequent spanking (e.g., one time/month) is inconclusive. When a parent moves beyond that to moderate or severe physical punishment, there are all sorts of untoward consequences—educational delays, psychological disorders and physical disorders, too.

APA: What do you say to the parent who says, “My parents spanked me, and I turned out OK?”

Dr. Kazdin: There are people who smoke cigarettes and live to be 100, but that does not refute the findings that smoking is likely to lead to early death. Exceptions are interesting (some people who contract HIV do not get AIDS) but they do not alter the finding and it would be foolhardy to think that one is an exception.

APA: What kinds of research would provide more conclusive evidence on the effects of physical punishment of children and provide insight into alternative forms of discipline?

Dr. Kazdin:. There is a good deal of research that has already been conducted that shows that anything beyond very mild physical punishment does not work in the long term and has negative consequences. While not all child development experts agree, my advice to parents is to avoid physical punishment altogether; there are simply more effective ways to teach and discipline your child.

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 152,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare.

Source: American Psychological Association (APA)
May 5, 2010, 11:00 AM EDT

223,190 Kids Legally Beaten in US Schools

For the first time in over 18 years, Congress has held hearings on the use of Corporal Punishment in U.S. Schools. In the coming weeks, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (NY) will introduce a bill to institute a federal ban of corporal punishment in all US Schools. [source: US Congressional Hearing]

Every 20 seconds of the school day, a child is beaten by an educator. Every 4 minutes, an educator beats a child so severely that she seeks medical attention. According to conservative reporting to the U.S. Department of Education 223,190 students were the victims of institutionalized violence at least once in the 2006-2007 school year, of which over 20,000 sought medical attention. [source: Office for Civil Rights at the US Dept. of Education; Congressional Testimony]
....Pre-school age through high school, students are being beaten with boards, belts, paddles, and whips... in public schools... in the United States... and while corporal punishment has been repeatedly shown to be ineffective and has deleterious effects on students, the practice continues and is legal in 20 states.
....The iron age practice of "corporal punishment" is still legal in 20 states and there are no federal laws prohibiting it. The National Association of School Nurses defines corporal punishment as "the intentional infliction of physical pain as a method of changing behavior. It may include methods such as hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, pinching, shaking, use of various objects (paddles, belts, sticks, or others), or painful body postures."
....From infractions as dangerous as forgetting a pencil to prom dress code violations, students are being beaten across the country. All of this, of course is without any due process, court hearing, and often the parents have no say in the matter. Did I mention that corporal punishment is outlawed in the US legal system, and even felons convicted of rape or murder can sleep soundly knowing they will never be subject to the same kinds of beatings we routinely doll out to our children in public schools. Not to mention that 97 out of the 100 largest US School districts have banned corporal punishment. [source: Center for Effective Discipline]
....The United States stands alone in the developed world — Canada, Europe, the UK, Australia and 102 other countries have long since outlawed the practice. [source:] The United Nations, Parent Teacher Association, American Civil Liberties Union, American Association of Pediatrics and countless other organizations have strong positions against the use of corporal punishment. [source:Center for Effective Discipline]
....The American Psychological Association opposes the use of corporal punishment in schools and asserts that corporal punishment is violent and unnecessary, may lower self-esteem, is liable to instill hostility and rage without reducing the undesired behavior and is likely to train children to use physical violence.
....In fact, the majority of research suggests that corporal punishment has little to no positive long term effects, actually decreases the effectiveness of other forms of punishment, and introduces a whole mess of other complications including increased drop out rates. Why then do some schools insist on using an ineffective, outdated practice? Since 30 states currently outlaw corporal punishment, what is so different in the lagging 20? Are the students somehow worse behaved? Are the teachers less capable of non-violent classroom management?
....The United States must join the rest of the developed world and implement a federal ban on corporal punishment. Dodging the issue and leaving it up to the states is irresponsible and neglectful to the hundreds of thousands of kids physically abused by the education system every year. The "States Rights Gambit" didn't work for slavery or segregation, and it won't work for this either.
....As a nation we may be in violation of international law by our non-compliance with the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights - which we signed and ratified in 1992. The UN's Committee on the Rights of the Child found that "corporal punishment and other cruel or degrading forms of punishment are forms of violence and States must take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to eliminate them" [source: A Violent Education: Corporal Punishment of Children in U.S. Public Schools]
....You can help spread awareness around this issue by sharing this article with friends, blogging about it yourself, and joining the Facebook Group.
....Additionally, contact your state representatives office, and let them know you support a Federal Ban on Corporal Punishment — this is a real chance to leave a human rights legacy you can be proud of.
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Appeared in THE HUFFINGTON POST by Anthony Adams
— Posted May 5, 2010 09:00 AM

This article is the first article in a series on Corporal Punishment in the United States by Anthony David Adams, Founder of DetentionSlip.org