Spanking kids in school: Why do we still do it?
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October 23, 2013 - How could anyone expect kids to be “college-ready” given our clearly minimal expectations?
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October 21, 2013
On Sunday, MyAJC.com will report on one of the most polarizing questions in child rearing -- to spank or not.
The question has been settled in the 97 Georgia's school districts that still allow spanking and other forms of corporal punishment. Georgia is among 19 states, mostly in the South, that empower educators to hit students.
I’ve witnessed a few of the legislative debates on proposed bans on corporal punishment in schools, and proponents always maintain, “I was whupped, and it did me good.”
Former Gov. Zell Miller once proclaimed that his mother threatened any whipping at school would be followed by one at home.
Some folks contend that our schools fell apart when they eliminated paddling and prayer. (If it were that simple….)
There is no evidence that paddling produces better students. However, there’s evidence that spanked children are more violent, display more antisocial behaviors and have higher incidences of depression and substance abuse.
Schools don’t have to whack misbehaving kids. Suspend them. Call the parents. Send them to the office. Send them home.
My concern is not parents spanking their own kids, although there are persuasive reasons not to do so. My concern is schools whacking kids. It can lead to lawsuits. It teaches kids al