As the crime rate in our country grows, teaching our children right from wrong is one of the most important tasks facing educators. At some point or another, this task will require some sort of disciplinary action. In years past, schools used corporal punishment to discipline children. Connie Paige reports that, "According to U.S. Department of Education statistics, more than 600,000students were struck by teachers in public schools in 1990." Studies show that in today's society, corporal punishment does more harm than good here in the United States.

Many states have recognized the problems associated with corporal punishment and have begun to phase it out of their system. Still, many states especially those in the South, hold on to this outdated form of discipline. Research, coupled with the opinions of most health care professionals, indicate that there is a problem. Corporal punishment is not an effective form of discipline in schools.

One of the major complaints against corporal punishment is that many educators misuse it. Discrimination is a key problem in the use of corporal punishment. According to Kreck, "Research has shown that boys are hit more often than girls; disabled students

Corporal punishment is also damaging to children. Since all children are different, it is impossible for an educator to know how hard to hit a particular child. A spanking that is thought to be beneficial could actually be abusive. Bruising, hitting in the back, and hitting the legs can easily occur when spanking children. Corporal punishment can also have profound psychological effects on children. Children generally concentrate on the spanking and not the reason for that spanking (Haynes, 65). Many health professionals agree that spanking does not work and usually worsens the child's behavior (Perkins).

Corporal punishment is also emotionally damaging to children. According to an article in USA Today, spanking humiliates children (Pride, 8). This humiliation could lead to problems like low self-esteem and hatred for authority, which can be detrimental to a child's success in growing to adulthood. Also, spanking often generates feelings of revenge toward the spanker (Haynes, 65). In older children, these vengeful feelings can become a dangerous situation. And many of those punished eventually become the punisher.

Secondly, corporal punishment teaches the wrong lesson. According to Dr. Gil Simon, a Sacramento pediatrician, "...spanking teaches children that violence solves problems and stimulates more bad behavior" (Perkins). Children who are spanked also learn that hitting is an acceptable form of expressing anger (Haynes, 65

Some common words found in the essay are:
Perkins Corporal, Kreck Research, Department Education, Carol Kreck, Christine Mercure, corporal punishment, Corporal Punishment, Perkins Children, Kreck Rising, According Pride, Punishment Alternatives, punishment according, corporal punishment according, haynes 65, perkins corporal punishment, behavior perkins, carol kreck, damaging children, children children, form discipline, according kreck, punishment according kreck, associated corporal punishment, association american,
Approximate Word count = 971
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)