Ban corporal punishment in schools

North Carolina schools are for providing a quality education for all and there simply is no justification for corporal punishment in an educational setting. Two out of three school districts in North Carolina let school officials spank students.

In a News and Observer feature article about a proposed statewide ban on corporal punishment in schools, Gary Shaffer, an associate professor in the School of Social Work, said "use of corporal punishment has declined nationwide since the 1980s and most industrialized nations forbid it. There is little data about corporal punishment in North Carolina's schools," he said, "but studies from other states show boys and minorities tend to get spanked the most. Although corporal punishment might temporarily curb bad behavior," Shaffer said, "it can make some children more aggressive over time."

News and Observer
March 15, 2007
Leah Friedman, Lynn Bonner and Lisa Hoppenjans, Staff Writers

Bill would end corporal punishment in schools
Most N.C. districts allow it; ban has support of Democratic lawmakers, state superintendent

Two out of three school districts in North Carolina let school officials spank students.

Chatham, Johnston, Franklin and Harnett counties are among those that allow corporal punishment in their public schools.

"It's very rarely, if ever, used," said Harnett County Superintendent Dan Honeycutt.

But Honeycutt didn't know exactly how many times corporal punishment had been administered in his district and said he does not require principals to report it to him. Read more...