Hot Topic (6/5): Corporal punishment in public schools

[Cafe GroupAdmin]

Is corporal punishment (aka "paddling") legal in your school district?  Are you in favor of corporal punishment in public schools? 

Would you be okay with your child being paddled at school? 

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It's a declining form of discipline in Florida's grade schools, corporal punishment.

The Okaloosa County school district voted last week to ban the punishment. Bay district schools still have a corporal punishment policy.

"The only time its used is when parents want it to be used instead of suspension or something like that," Bill Husfelt, Bay District Schools Superintendent said.

However, Husfelt says schools don't use it that much.

"There were less than thirty instances of students being paddled in Bay District schools last year. They were in the elementary level," Husfelt said.

Only a handful of Bay schools use corporal punishment. Some parents told us, it all depends on the behavior of the student.

Lewis Griffin, whose son is in the second grade, finds it unacceptable.

"I don't agree with it at all. I don't think it's conducive to learning. In fact, I think it would probably humiliate the child and probably make that child not even attend school," Griffin said.

Schools, like Surfside Middle, don't even use corporal punishment. School officials say simply because there are more effective ways of disciplining students.

"We use removal from the classroom setting. We use counseling. We use in-school suspension, morning detention," Sue Harrell, Surfside Middle School principal said.

As far as banning corporal punishment in Bay District schools?

"If there was a call for it. We haven't had somebody come in and say we're paddling too much or not paddling enough," Husfelt said. “I was paddled, as a junior high student years ago. I never did what I was accused of doing. Our society pretty much frowns on it."

Governor Charlie Crist signed legislation last week that requires school districts that still use corporal punishment to review the policy every three years at school board meetings with public testimony.

Districts that don't meet the requirement would be banned from paddling students.

[meriana]

No, they don't use it at our schools. As far as I know most schools stopped using it about the time that good ole Dr. Spock began convincing everyone that you should never swat your child's behind as it would damage their egos,etc, etc. You should always reason with them instead, etc, etc.....(boy, what an idiot)...ever try to reason with a 1 or 2 yr old?  Doesn' t work real well, LOL.  Anyway, I really think if schools went back to it, there;d be far less goofing off and causing trouble and a whole lot more learning being done. As far as it being humiliating, or damaging their egos....I've seen plenty of kids who could use a little humiliation and a small dent in their egos.  They did it when I went to school and no one suffered any damage from it and it certainly did not make them not want to go to school. It did make them behave.

[stormcris]

It was practiced when I was coming through school and I have never seen it as useful. I was paddled by my mother and never found it useful. Give me some licks on my butt and send me on my way, and she did use a paddle. I remember the paddling vividly but not what I actually did to receive them. I better remember what I did to have to take Milk of Magnesia but I digress. Anyway, paddlings are pretty much useless, the school tried to paddle my son once but that backfired on them just like I said it would. There was a note placed in his folder that paddling should not be attempted on him again.

[Goodwoman614]

School touch my kid I break their fingers...

Oh, wait--I'm homeschooling now.

File this under:  another reason homeschooling rocks the house (ours!) and beats (sorry 'bout the pun) public school hands down.

[Earth-Angel]

They don't use it at my kids schools, but I think they should! JMO! 

[Mommy_of_Riley]

Growing up our parents had to sign a permission form for the schools...

Now... they still have the forms.  (My little brother is attending the same schools I did).  My mom signed the form for all of us... 

[WifeyC]

They do it a a few of the religious schools around here but not in public school.  My child will not be spanked/paddled/tapped by anyone but his parents. 

[momaof8]

I am with you I homeschool.

Quoting Goodwoman614:

School touch my kid I break their fingers...

Oh, wait--I'm homeschooling now.

File this under:  another reason homeschooling rocks the house (ours!) and beats (sorry 'bout the pun) public school hands down.

 

 

 

[PurdueMom]

I attended elementary schools in the 1960's, and our schools had corporal punishment.  It didn't occur everyday, but when it did, word got out fast and I really do believe it kept the rest of us in line. 

There was no corporal punishment in my girls' schools, but I would have signed a paper allowing it. 

[sweetmom1007]

It's not legal out here in Long Island, NY.  Can't even do it to your own child.  YOu leave a mark CPS comes to your door. 

[PamR]

No, not used in our school system in Georgia. Only way I would okay it is if I'm allowed to hit the teacher when he or she does something I don't like.