NCJ Number
99121
Date Published
1984
Length
84 pages
Annotation
A victim of corporal punishment in a North Carolina school, a representative of the West Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals, a representative of the American Psychological Association, and the assistant superintendent of the District of Columbia public schools testify on the pros and cons of school corporal punishment.
Abstract
A student who underwent corporal punishment in a Dunn, N.C., public school describes the experience along with the physical and psychological damage it inflicted. Her mother testifies about the remedial steps they sought and how they were thwarted by the courts as well as the local school board. The representative from the American Psychological Association, who also works for the National Center for the Study of Corporal Punishment and Alternatives in the Schools, reports on the varieties of corporal punishment used in the schools and its negative psychological and behavioral impacts. The representative of the West Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals advocates controlled corporal punishment as an important discipline tool for teachers, provided parental approval is given. The assistant superintendent of the District of Columbia public schools supports his jurisdiction's policy of prohibiting corporal punishment, as he argues that there are more effective and positive discipline alternatives. The appendix contains a statement on corporal punishment in the schools prepared by the National Committee for Citizens in Education as well as letters to the subcommittee.