McCarthy: Bill would ban corporal punishment in schools

Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY4) is re-introducing the “Ending Corporal Punishment in Schools Act” — legislation that aims to end the practice of children being struck or beaten in schools by school personnel — on Sept. 22. McCarthy first introduced the legislation last year.

According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights — from the 2006-2007 school year — more than 200,000 students are the victims of corporal punishment each year, and African-American and disabled children experience corporal punishment at disproportionately high rates.

“There are two Americas out there for young students right now – one where they go to school knowing that they’ll be guided positively by caring adults, and one where they live in constant fear of getting beaten,” said McCarthy, who is a member of the Committee on Education and Workforce. “Bullying is enough of a problem among students; the teachers shouldn’t be doing it, too. There’s nothing positive or productive about corporal punishment and it should be discouraged everywhere.”

Currently, 19 states currently permit corporal punishment: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming.

Corporal punishment was banned in Ohio in 2009, after several years of legislative work on the issue. "Efforts like this — big ideas that challenge long-held cultural norms and practices — take time," said Shams Tarek, a spokesman for McCarthy.

According to a national poll conducted by SurveyUSA in 2005, 23 percent of respondents said that they believe it’s okay for teachers to hit students.

According to McCarthy, the corporal punishment bill would enforce a ban on abuse in schools by allowing the Education Secretary to withhold funds, either fully or partially, to any educational agency or institution that allows corporal punishment.

Under the bill, "corporal punishment" is defined as “paddling, spanking and other forms of physical punishment, however light, imposed upon a student.” It also provides an exemption for school personnel who use reasonable restraint if a student’s behavior poses an imminent risk of physical injury to the student, school personnel or others.