CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN THE SCHOOL SETTING

"What Are We Going To Do With Some Of These Kids?"

Over the past decade or so, the use of corporal punishment with school children has received much publicity in the media. There are those who advocate the use of the "board" of education, contending that by sparing the rod, the child will be spoiled. There has been angry denunciation of permissive teachers and bleeding hearts who would encourage anarchy in the classroom. Places still exist, therefore, where paddlings and spankings are used as a means of disciplining children for school infractions. For the most part. however, corporal punishment of school children is declining. Paddlings are being ignored and more effective alternatives to suspension are being sought. The phasing-out and abolition of corporal punishment has been hastened by horrendous tales published in various newspapers, and the awareness of the reasons for not using corporal punishment.

Arguments Against Corporal Punishment

It is unnecessary. A rapidly-growing number of school districts have found that physically painful punishment added nothing to the overall morale and smooth functioning of the schools. Anarchy

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Adah Maurer

did not erupt, despite the elimination of corporal punishment. Indeed, in most cases where the prohibition was accepted with good grace, the new quiet and reasonableness was a welcome relief. No one missed the afternoon line outside the vice­principal's office of students waiting to be paddled. The occasional lapse could be smoothed over with a warning and an apology.

It pre-empts better means of communicating with the child. Paddling gets to be a habit even with the well-intentioned teacher. Instead . of a "last resort" as intended, a paddling {or threat of one) becomes the first resort. Paddling is the snake-oil remedy of the huckster. In most cases, a few minutes of listening and some reasonable suggestions would accomplish far more. Listening opens up channels of communication and affords the opportunity for the adult to teach instead of torture.

It teaches by example that the infliction of pain is the proper way to power. The punitive adult serves as a model of aggressive behavior. This type of model may not only teach the child antisocial behavior but also okays the use of physical force as a means of control and of settling conflicts. It may be seen as a

form of institutionalized child abuse, approved by society, and reflected in the family. Society cannot afford to condone model behavior that, in the long run, will be maladaptive.

It develops deviousness, lying, etc. The child who squirms, runs away, lies, blames others, hides, or uses other self-protective means to avoid physical punishment is acting in a truly natural way, trying to avoid pain. This deceit may become a common practice; thus, punishment once again teaches the child antisocial rather than prosocial behaviors.

It is dangerous In that it escal<1tes into battering. Anger accumulates and so the seventh child to be swatted may be hit harder than the first for the same offense. Permanent damage has been inflicted by school personnel and staff. There have been cases of sciatic nerve damage, kidney failure, and failure of a weak heart.

It increases aggressiveness in the child and vandalism in the school. Whether a spanking is justified or not, the net result of the action should be one important criterion by which it is judged. When children are

hit as the penalty for hitting, studies show that the children's hitting behavior increases (Button; Trotter; Welsh). It may be direct modeling, or a matter of stirring up adrenalin activity that remains at higher-than­normal levels after repeated punishments or even a protective mechanism found in most mammals who will fight if they are attacked. Rather than deciding whether or not a child deserves a spanking, it would be wise to decide whether that would be the best way to change his behavior.

It causes anxiety and school phobia. The spanked, as well as the unspanked, child may develop a fear of school because the school becomes associated with the painful experience of punishment. lt is as if school becomes punitive, aversive, and thus a place to be feared and avoided.

It reduces the ability to concentrate on intellectual tasks. A child whose attention must be spent on determining the teacher's moods and on estimating the chances of punishment cannot spend his time more fruitfully on academic behaviors of exploration, curiosity, etc.

It can cause sexual aberrations. Sadism and masochism may be disorders related to punishing children as an expression of love, i.e., "I spank you because I love you." Such association between love and aggression might possibly lead to certain aberrations of true sexuality.

It damages the punisher by narrowing his options, tunneling his vision, and tarnishing his image. Punishment has illusory effectiveness in that it typically will stop the misbehavior quickly even though in the long run it may be ineffective because it instigates more misbehavior. But, this immediate effectiveness can be very rewarding for the punishing agent and, thus, maintain the use of physical punishment. Unfortunately, the punisher feels he does not need to

look any further-punishment is effective so why look for alternatives? The administrator who runs out of resourceful ideas and is reduced to hitting diminishes himself in the eyes of youth-from respected leader to hated adversary. Concern for his image, if nothing else, should inspire the educator to competent conduct.

Alternatives

The earnest search for alterna~ives is quite different from the rhetorical question, "What are you going to do with some of these kids7" This exasperated statement is meant to be the stopper that will end the debate. Attempts to supply reasonable answers in general terms of changing the overall tone of the school from an us-versus-them stance to a willing cooperation based on trust and pride is likely to be met with an impatient, "But, what are you going to do when a kid defies you7" Or, there is the ploy to demand a panacea. No matter what suggestion is offered, it is countered with, "And, when that doesn't work7" No system, whether repressive or caring, will turn all teenagers into obedient, diligent, courteous, quiet, creative, studious scholars. For those administrators and teachers who are willing to listen, alternatives can be suggested. Some of these are on-the-spot ones, useful for handling immediate problems; some are for general, overall changes in the system.

On-the-Spot Alternative #l: Suspension. Probably the first alternative to corporal punishment that comes to mind is suspension. But the adversaries are quick to point out the disadvantages of this type of discipline. By suspending a student from school, the child is denied an education to which he is

entitled. Second, it is unreasonable to suspend students for minor infractions such as chewing gum or speaking out of turn (but, reasonable to spank them for such misbehaviors). Third, a three-day suspension-even for more serious misdeeds-for some may be more rewarding than punishing. It is like an all-expenses-paid holiday! And, of course,.it is paradoxical to award compulsory truancy for free-lance truancy. It is better that the child remain in school where someone could keep an eye on him. Thus, the idea of in-school suspension was developed. It had immediate appeal for teachers and spread rapidly.

One type of in-school suspension program is where the rulebreakers are assigned to a special classroom for a three- to five-day period. To help him learn more about behavior, the student develops a written plan for changing unacceptable habits. This becomes a contract signed by the student, a parent, the principal, and the teacher in charge of the special in-school suspension room. The rest of the time is spent completing regular assignments in sensory deprivation cubicles, but with a teacher present and willing to answer questions. To make this system genuinely useful to junior and senior high school students, it would be advisable to include access to counseling and, in special cases, an educational assessment designed to discover wherein the school has failed the student.

Of course, there have been misuses of the in-school suspension system. For example, a student spends a day in a lighted storage room where he possibly can sit and do nothing or even sleep. Although this may be better than the paddle or out-of-school suspension, it has little or no constructive educational benefit. Solitary confinement for young children or special students may be too traumatic. The use of

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time out in behavior modification is useful, but the time should be limited to a few minutes.

When used correctly, the in-school suspension system can spare the rod but not the discipline. There can be schools with no paddlings, no suspensions, no expulsions, and no anarchy, too.

On-the-Spot Alternative #2: Other Penalties. Certain types of penalties can have the benefit of having the student contribute to the school community. These may include dean-up chores, grooming the grounds, etc. Of course, care must be taken so that these chores don't take on negative valence and become disliked. But, potentially, chores such as these have more educational value than doing push-ups or running laps. It may take some imagination and experience to come up with tasks that serve both as a penalty and an education for the student.

On-the-Spot Alternative #3: Just Talk. Nothing so exasperates the dedicated punisher as the suggestion that talking it out has any value. Yet, talking it out is probably one of the most socially educational things that can be done. Conflict resolution is a very important skill, in which a potentially dangerous confrontation is defused so that the conflicting parties go home happy.

An "everybody wins" solution depends upon a willingness to engage in "just talk" and to listen. Time taken to insist that conflicting students speak in turn, listen to each other, offer a reasonable solution to their difference, and end with a formal handshake is time well spent. It will enhance the stature of both children, provide them with an experience they can Jook back upon as a model of conflict resolution, and upgrade the morale of the whole school.

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On-the-Spot Alternative #4: Body Language. Most schoolroom problems develop from ineptly­delivered messages such as the raising of the voice, threatening, ignoring the first lack of compliance, or whining at the whole class for the behavior of a few. Teachers glued to their desks at the front of the room or busy with extraneous chores while students are assigned seat work will have far more restless disobedience than those who are immersed in on-going activities as a part of the class community.

A stern but calm voice and close eye-to-eye contact, according to Jones, convey the message: "I mean business!" and are the beginnings of an effective body language that controls without threats. His system requires practice to become natural and unforced. In his workshops with teachers he ttresses setting limits, eye contact, proximity, staying cool. using the minimum response for the situation, and doing it right away. When done effectively, discipline seems to be invisible.

General Sy•tems

The administrator confronted with a chaotic school is looking for an overall morale builder or a well­organized system that has proven its worth elsewhere in bringing about a change, rather than for on-the-spot "how-to's" that are useful to the classroom teacher. The daily line-up of the unruly sitting pitifully on the long office bench awaiting their tum at the paddling machine can be a source of embarrassment and annoyance when it is realized that the line never ceases and the problems never solved. The person of principle will seriously ask the question, "Are there altemativesi'" Happily, the answer is "yes." Some are better than others; some are appropriate in one situation but less

so in another. Sometimes it takes a dose of two or three medicines before the right one is found.

A Written and Uniform Code of Conduct. If punishments vary from day to day and teacher to teacher, if 11tudents have no way of knowing what is expected of them, the uncertainty will leave some confused and others inspired to push against the limits to find out where and what they are. To remedy this. some school boards draw up lists of rules and penalties to be applied for each infraction, with sometimes mixed results. Sometimes the problem with rules is that there are too many, and this may become a source of difficulty. Have as few as possible and do away with the irrelevant ones. After consultation with the students, one administrator came up with just six rules: "Attend class, no alcohol and drug1, no smoking in the building, no weapons, no fighting, and treat everyone with respect for his dignity, welfare and property." This program appears to be successful.

Reward• Rather Than Punishment. A general attitude of rewarding good behavior rather than punishing bad behavior can go a long way. Adults, at times, are too quick to punish the smallest of infractions and too slow to reward the nicest of behavior. But, reward to a child not only enhances his own self-esteem, but also increases the chances that the child will develop more of the appropriate behavior for which he is being rewarded. Besides pouring on the social praise, some school systems also have used rewards in the form of stars, happy grams, excellence stamps, and other indications of achievement. Students meet such system1 with enthusiasm, and mischief is reduced effectively.

Psychologically-Based Systems. Some general systems can be derived from useful psychological approaches. For example, Teacher Effectiveness Training is a well­known and much-touted system incorporating principles of sound communication between people. So popular has the approach become that it's used as much in industry and in the schools.

An equally popular system, Classer's Rtalify Thtrapy, has helped by providing a framework for formalizing contracts with students. It emphasizes that the responsibility for discipline resides within the student rather than in a big stick held over his head. A humane, but no-nonsense approach, it is most useful at the high school level and is easily adaptable to a variety of situations.

But, systems, even the best of them, are sometimes suspect. Educators in large numbers have grown weary of workshops given by PhD's who have never served in a classroom. They tend to be unable or unwilling to apply the theory, and are left as frustrated as before. If the instruction has not touched some chord deep within and rung a clarion bell whose vibrations harmonize with something in the teacher's original make-up, it is quite likely to be an exercise in futility.

George C. Fremont High School System. Prior to the arrival of principal Harold Zuckerman, Fremont High was a stereotypic example of an inner-city school­juvenile delinquency, drug pushers, etc. Zuckerman was dedicated to trust, community cooperation, student self-direction, and pride­instead of punishment. He changed the physical appearance of the school by putting up street signs for the walkways, and brightening up the walls with art students' murals. A community task force of preachers and parents reminded students who

violated the rules. There were no threats, no consequences- just constant reminders by people they knew and were known by. Unwelcomed outsiders were "encouraged" to go elsewhere. Teachers, who were apathetic, perked up when asked for their ideas and discovered they were actually being listened to. Gang fights were cooled by a student committee before they could escalate. Problems were handled quickly and fairly, with both sides of a conflict having a chance to communicate. In short, the students now have loyalty and pride and enthusiasm. Zuckerman has explained his philosophical and psychological base for dealing with adolescents in his book, Adalmtnu is 11

R1q11ir1d Courst. Schools like Fremont and others

across the nation are good examples of the idea that there can be discipline without corporal punishment, that children can learn without corporal punishment, that children can grow without corporal punishment. With this attitude, plus the constant search for positive alternatives, the use of corporal punishment in the school system should have the same fate as the ink pen and ink well.

References

Button, A. "Some Antecedents of Felonious and Delinquent Behavior," in Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, Volume 2, Number 3, 1973, pp. 35-37.

Glasser, W. Rralily Thrrapy, New York: Harper & Row, 1965.

Gordon, T. Ef{tttivtnm Training, New York: P.H. Wyden, 1974.

Jones, F. "Body Language," in Lui Rtsort, Volume 7, Number 1, September 1978, p. 10.

Trotter, B. "East Side, West Side: Growing Up In Manhattan," in Stitnct Nrws, Volume 109, Number 20, May 15, 1978, pp. 315 & 318.

Welsh, R. "Severe Parental Punishment and Delinquency: A Developmental Theory,M in Journal of Clinical Child Psy<hology, Volume 5, Number 1, Spring 1978, pp. 17· 21.

Zuckerman, H. Adolmtnet Is A Rrq11irtd Coursr, Morristown, New Jersey: Silver Burdette Co., 1976.

Adah Maurrr taught in Chicago schools for 25 yrars btfort gt/ling htr MA from tht Univrrsily of Chicago ud PhD from /ht Union GrRd11alt School. Ttn ytars as a school psychologist in CRliforniR madt htr an adwcalt for childrtn. Sht mvtd on tht Tad: Foret on ChilJrrn's Rights of /ht Amtrican Psychological Association and is now /ht Chair of !hr Commilltt for Child Advo(IJ(y of !hr Division of S<hool Psy<hology of APA. Sht has publishtd numtrous articlts '" profmional journRls <oncrrning /ht chi/J's discootry of dtalh, tht origin of childhood {tars, and many in lhr arta of corporal punishmtnl. Sht Is now E:mulivr Dimtor of "End V iolrncr Against Thr Nu:t Grnrration, Inc." Rnd tdits its nrwsltlltr, The La st Resort.

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