Corporal Punishment Contentious in Schools

Is corporal punishment the right way to get a point across?

 According to a 2000 survey, corporal punishment is widely approved by parents throughout the world. Corporal punishment is a form of physical punishment that involves the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution to an offense.

 There are still many countries, including states in the United States, that allow corporal punishment. In fact, corporal punishment is only outlawed in 29 countries. As for the United States, there are 20 states that still allow this type of punishment, with Mississippi being the state where corporal punishment is used the most.

“I’m not sure corporal punishment is always completely inappropriate, but it should have very carefully defined limitations,” English teacher Zachary Houp said.

There are three types of corporal punishment: Judicial punishment is a type of physical punishment in prisons, school corporal punishment involves punishment in schools, and domestic punishment is when a child gets physically punished at home. The most common type of punishment in the United States is known as the paddle, where students get hit with a paddle, usually on the buttocks.

“I am totally against corporal punishment. There are better ways around a problem than with physical pain,” said Fleetwood Area High School principal Michael D. Antonio. When asked if he ever got hit when he was in school he admitted that he did, but altogether he saw no point in it.

Corporal punishment has been around since the medieval times, which may explain why schools have used it. Schools started using corporal punishment in the early 1600’s.