Student Relationship

This paper examines the use of corporal punishment in public schools. It presents a brief history of corporal-punishment practices and explains why corporal punishment remains a legal means of control in the schools of 23 states in the United States. Opponents of corporal punishment argue that it should be abolished from schools because it models violence, does not teach appropriate behaviors or problem-solving skills, and is discriminatorily applied to black males in elementary schools and those with learning/mental/behavioral disabilities. Eleven alternatives to corporal punishment are highlighted: nonacknowledgement of disruptive behavior and reinforcement of appropriate behavior, signal interference, proximity control, interest boosting, tension reduction through humor, hurdle helping, program restructuring, the use of routine to provide security, direct appeal, removal of seductiv