Disabled Students Are Spanked More
The Autism News | English
By SAM DILLON | The New York Times
More than 200,000 schoolchildren are paddled, spanked or subjected to other physical punishment each year, and disabled students get a disproportionate share of the treatment, according to a new study.
Most states prohibit corporal punishment in public schools, but 20 do not. The two watchdog groups that collaborated on the report, Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union, are urging federal and state lawmakers to extend the ban nationwide and enact an immediate moratorium on physical punishment of students with disabilities.
“Corporal punishment is just not an effective method of punishment, especially for disabled children, who may not even understand why they’re being hit,” said Alice Farmer, who wrote the report.
The report, based on federal Department of Education data, said that of the 223,190 public school students nationwide who were paddled during the 2006-7 school year, at least 41,972, or about 19 percent, were students with disabilities, who make up 14 percent of all students.
As recently as the 1970s, only two states had laws banning corporal punishment, but 28 others have since passed similar legislation. Corporal punishment is still permitted in some form in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming.
The most recent state to enact a ban was Ohio, where Gov. Ted Strickland last month signed into law a measure including a such a prohibition.
In states that do not have bans, some school districts do. In Louisiana, about 56 districts allow corporal punishment, while about 14 prohibit it. Last month the Education Committee of the Louisiana Legislature voted 8 to 6 to reject a proposed ban.
Roy McCoy, principal of Beekman Junior High School in Bastrop, La., testified against the bill. Classroom discipline has been an increasing problem, Mr. McCoy told lawmakers. In an interview, he said paddling is no cure-all, “but when other means of correcting behavior have failed to produce the desired improvement, it could be a viable option.”
“My view is that this should be a decision made by each local school board,” Mr. McCoy said.
Among the cases cited in the report was that of a 6-year-old, first-grade boy with autism, who was paddled at his Mississippi elementary school. An assistant principal who the report described as weighing 300 pounds “picked up an inch-thick paddle and paddled him” on the buttocks, the report said.
“It just devastated him,” the report cited the boy’s grandmother as saying. “When a child with autism has something like that happen, they don’t forget it. It’s always fresh in their minds.”
Alan Richard, a former journalist who is the spokesman for the Southern Regional Education Board, said he once surveyed attitudes in Southern districts.
“One principal said, ‘I was whipped as a child, so it’s fine with me,’ ” Mr. Richard recalled. “Others said, ‘We don’t do that anymore.’ It varied by community.”
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/11/education/11punish.html
Please share this news with friends, family and also with your contact list on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.
Michelle Ward
OMG I feel physically sick after reading this. I had no idea this still went on. This is appalling.
Angela Space-Williams
OMG! I am so outraged with this article……I feel that every abuser needs to be proscueted to the fullest in the court of law.
Rebecca Burkwood
disgusting makes me so angry!
Eric Lim
Travelling in many parts of Asia, both developed and developing countries, many are still adopting draconian corporal punishments and restraints on these “special” individuals. Another reason why i took my anger and started special needs services through my foundation to stop such practices (at least within my locus of control).
Michelle Ward
Eric … good for you!
Eric Lim
The only way to stop punishment strategies is through education! Both the teacher and student together…
Rosa Durdle
When I saw this article, I naively read it wondering what part of the world this happens in…. I was stunned to see it was here in North America!!!!
I’m going to assume that in each of those states where it is still permitted, I bet that there are laws against parents doing the same things at home – “that” would be “abuse”.
Why should schools, who we trust our children to, be allowed to abuse these children too? Special needs or regular kids!!!… Read More
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:
Hitting a child may “work”, it may stop the behaviour or problem, but that doesn’t mean it’s the RIGHT way! Someone should show these places how the other areas where it’s already banned are handling the same discipline problems.
I’m still amazed that in a world where this is COMPLETELY unacceptable in the home environment is still condoned in the schools.
I’m completely floored! lol
Donna Abrams
i dont know about this there are camreas all over our school so schools dont get sued you are never aloud to touch a student one bus aide was fired cause alittle girls parent thought a bus aide pulled her hair just to find out the little gril was doing it to herself she liked the feeling . if you work with children with autism atleast in a private school you are finger printed watched by carmas 24/7 i know its not the same in public school must of the time they are not even trained or are related to someone in the school system and thats the way they got the job , there should be a global test that puts you in a room with an autism child and watch your reactions before you get a job even her in nj i worked in a school were the princal didnt like mess so when we played with playdough he had a fit or painting and your like how did a jerk like that get a job like that i left there school but his butt is still there !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!