United States HUMAN A Violent Education RIGHTS Corporal Punishment of Children in US Public Schools WATCH A Violent Education Corporal Punishment of Children in US Public Schools Copyright © 2008 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 1-56432-369-2 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor New York, NY 10118-3299 USA Tel: +1 212 290 4700, Fax: +1 212 736 1300 [email protected] Poststraße 4-5 10178 Berlin, Germany Tel: +49 30 2593 06-10, Fax: +49 30 2593 0629 [email protected] Avenue des Gaulois, 7 1040 Brussels, Belgium Tel: + 32 (2) 732 2009, Fax: + 32 (2) 732 0471 [email protected] 64-66 Rue de Lausanne 1202 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 738 0481, Fax: +41 22 738 1791 [email protected] 2-12 Pentonville Road, 2nd Floor London N1 9HF, UK Tel: +44 20 7713 1995, Fax: +44 20 7713 1800 [email protected] 27 Rue de Lisbonne 75008 Paris, France Tel: +33 (1)43 59 55 35, Fax: +33 (1) 43 59 55 22 [email protected] 1630 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500 Washington, DC 20009 USA Tel: +1 202 612 4321, Fax: +1 202 612 4333 [email protected] Web Site Address: http://www.hrw.org August 2008 1-56432-369-2 A Violent Education Corporal Punishment of Children in US Public Schools I. Summary and Key Recommendations .............................................................................. 1 Corporal Punishment in US Public Schools ..................................................................... 2 A Violent and Degrading School Environment ........................................................... 3 Discrimination in the Classroom................................................................................5 Lack of Recourse .......................................................................................................5 Legality and Reform.................................................................................................. 6 Key Recommendations ................................................................................................... 9 II. Methodology.................................................................................................................11 III. Corporal Punishment in US Public Schools ...................................................................14 The Mechanics of Corporal Punishment.........................................................................14 The Paddles and the Position of the Child................................................................14 Clothing as Protection against Blows...................................................................... 20 Number of Blows .....................................................................................................21 Other Instruments Used.......................................................................................... 22 Other Physical Force Used against Students ........................................................... 23 Persons Administering Corporal Punishment.......................................................... 23 The Atmospherics of Corporal Punishment ....................................................................25 Intimidation and Threats .........................................................................................25 Witnesses to Paddling ............................................................................................ 26 “The Devil’s Bargain”: Choosing to Be Beaten .............................................................. 29 Why Students Opt for Beatings................................................................................31 IV. Offenses Leading to Corporal Punishment ................................................................... 35 Disproportionate Responses to Minor Misbehavior .......................................................35 Vague Offenses and Arbitrary Use of Corporal Punishment ........................................... 38 Corporal Punishment for Serious Offenses, including Violence..................................... 39 V. Prevalence of Corporal Punishment in US Public Schools.............................................. 42 Data on Corporal Punishment....................................................................................... 42 Constant and High Levels of Paddling in Some Schools.................................................47 VI. Impact of Corporal Punishment.................................................................................... 50 Lasting Injuries and Immediate Pain............................................................................. 50 Depression and Anger ...................................................................................................54 Academic Disengagement and Drop Out........................................................................57 Links to Domestic Violence........................................................................................... 58 VII. Best Practices in School Discipline .............................................................................60 Positive Disciplinary Approaches.................................................................................. 60 Educators’ Views on Corporal Punishment.................................................................... 64 VIII. The Use of Corporal Punishment against Specific Groups ..........................................69 Boys Paddled More Than Girls ...................................................................................... 70 Race ..............................................................................................................................71 Discriminatory Learning Environment ......................................................................75 Particular Issues Raised by the Paddling of Girls............................................................77 Case Study: Allison Guthrie .................................................................................... 78 Special Education Students and Students with Disabilities .......................................... 79 IX. Regulating Discipline in Schools .................................................................................84 Regulations and Training on School Discipline ............................................................. 84 Educators Who Disagree are without Recourse ............................................................. 85 Case Study: Ralph McLaney.................................................................................... 87 Parental Choice ............................................................................................................ 88 Methods of Opting Out of Corporal Punishment...................................................... 88 Parental Struggles to Opt Out ................................................................................. 90 Parental Preferences against Corporal Punishment Ignored.....................................91 X. Seeking Redress for Corporal Punishment .................................................................... 94 School District Response to Parental Complaints.......................................................... 94 Immunity for Perpetrators............................................................................................. 96 Lack of Adequate Responses from Police or Courts....................................................... 97 Parents’ Inability to Protect Children............................................................................. 99 XI. Banning Corporal Punishment: International Human Rights Law and US Constitutional Standards ...................................................................................................................... 102 International Human Rights Law ..................................................................................102 Freedom from Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment..................103 The Right to Freedom from Physical Violence.........................................................104 The Inherent Dignity of the Child and the Right to Education..................................105 Non-discrimination and Equality............................................................................107 Parents’ Rights ......................................................................................................108 The United States and International Human Rights Law.........................................109 US Law Permitting Corporal Punishment...................................................................... 113 Cruel and Unusual Punishment ............................................................................. 113 Due Process .......................................................................................................... 115 Trends to Abolish Corporal Punishment....................................................................... 116 XII. Conclusion and Recommendations ............................................................................118 To Legislatures in States with Corporal Punishment..................................................... 119 To Governors and Departments of Education in States with Corporal Punishment........120 To Police, District Attorneys, and State Courts ............................................................. 121 To the President of the United States........................................................................... 121 To the United States Congress....................................................................................