Corporal punishment, also called “paddling” in recent years, is child abuse. You will never be able to locate a worthwhile study that says otherwise. Any time an adult or authority figure uses the threat of physical violence against someone, child or adult, the effects are all-around counterproductive to positive outcomes. That is true for education, and it’s true for most everything.
You would think that corporal punishment went out with drowning witches, but you would be wrong. In fact, 19 states still allow schools to decide whether or not to employ corporal punishment techniques. You don’t need to guess the political leanings of those 19 states. The newest example of this backward thinking is the Cassville R-IV School District in Missouri, which has decided they want to reinstate the practice of hitting children with a paddle in order to educate them better.
The Springfield News-Leader interviewed Merlyn Johnson, the relatively new superintendent of the 1,900-student district, who seems pretty cool with everything. "My plan, when I came to Cassville, wasn't to be known as the guy who brought corporal punishment back to Cassville. I didn't want that to be my legacy and I still don't. But it is something that has happened on my watch and I'm OK with it."
Don’t worry, it’ll be your legacy. And the kids who matriculate through the schools during your tenure will remember you as a true monster.
