Corporal Punishment
Sahil Morrow
Ms. Morgan
English II – 4
07 November 2013
Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Corporal punishment is the intentional use of physical pain as a method of changing behavior. Numerous nations have prohibited the use of corporal punishment in public schools, but the United States of America is a special case. Thirty states have prohibited the use of corporal punishment in public schools while twenty states have not, Texas being one of them. The use of corporal punishment in public schools should be prohibited because it restricts a student 's academic success, facilitates aggression and violence in an adolescent 's behavior, all while having no clear evidence that it actually works. Corporal punishment creates an unhealthy educational environment which directly correlates with impeding students ' academic performance. Even though one student receives punishment, this affects all the students who witness it, constructing “an environment of education that can be described as unproductive, nullifying, and punitive” (“Corporal Punishment in Schools”). Corporal punishment creates an atmosphere of fear in the classroom which can severely hurt a student 's ability to do well in school. Studies show that “as a group, states that paddled the most improved their scores the least,” while “the ten states with the longest histories of forbidding corporal punishment improved the most” (“Corporal Punishment in Schools and...”). Today, succeeding in high school is very important, and with good reason. How well a student does in high school is what paves their way to a good college. Corporal punishment is used to deter bad behavior, but it puts students at a very serious disadvantage against students who learn in non-corporal punishment states. By definition, corporal punishment is said to change the behavior of the victim so that he or she will not act in the same way again, although there is no concrete evidence that supports this claim. In fact, “no clear
Ms. Morgan
English II – 4
07 November 2013
Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Corporal punishment is the intentional use of physical pain as a method of changing behavior. Numerous nations have prohibited the use of corporal punishment in public schools, but the United States of America is a special case. Thirty states have prohibited the use of corporal punishment in public schools while twenty states have not, Texas being one of them. The use of corporal punishment in public schools should be prohibited because it restricts a student 's academic success, facilitates aggression and violence in an adolescent 's behavior, all while having no clear evidence that it actually works. Corporal punishment creates an unhealthy educational environment which directly correlates with impeding students ' academic performance. Even though one student receives punishment, this affects all the students who witness it, constructing “an environment of education that can be described as unproductive, nullifying, and punitive” (“Corporal Punishment in Schools”). Corporal punishment creates an atmosphere of fear in the classroom which can severely hurt a student 's ability to do well in school. Studies show that “as a group, states that paddled the most improved their scores the least,” while “the ten states with the longest histories of forbidding corporal punishment improved the most” (“Corporal Punishment in Schools and...”). Today, succeeding in high school is very important, and with good reason. How well a student does in high school is what paves their way to a good college. Corporal punishment is used to deter bad behavior, but it puts students at a very serious disadvantage against students who learn in non-corporal punishment states. By definition, corporal punishment is said to change the behavior of the victim so that he or she will not act in the same way again, although there is no concrete evidence that supports this claim. In fact, “no clear
Cited: Barwick, Melanie. “Corporal Punishment Is Ineffective and Abusive.” Parenting. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. From “Parenting: The Line Between Punishment and Abuse.” 2008. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 4 Oct. 2013. “Corporal Punishment in Schools.” Journal of Adolescent Health 32 (2003). New York: Elsevier Inc. Web. 7 Oct. 2013. “Corporal Punishment in Schools and Its Effect on Academic Success.” Human Rights Watch. 2010. Web. 7 Oct. 2013. “More Than 200,000 Kids Spanked At School.” CNN. Web. 7 Oct. 2013.