http://www.crin.org/docs/us0808execsummary.pdf

Every year in the United States at least 220,000 children in public schools are subjected to corporal punishment, or "paddling." Permitted in 21 states, the practice leaves many children injured and disengaged from the process of learning. African-American students and students with mental or physical disabilities receive corporal punishment at disproportionately high rates, creating a hostile school environment in which these students may struggle to succeed.

Although some educators believe that corporal punishment is an effective way to deter students from misbehaviour-including harmful behavior like fighting- beatings hurt students, erode the trust between educators and students, and degrade the larger educational environment. Corporal punishment teaches students that violence is legitimate and rarely leads to any long-term decrease in classroom misbehavior. And corporal punishment is incompatible with human rights standards prohibiting cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment and protecting children from physical violence and mental abuse.

This brochure summarises A Violent Education, a report by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Further information

• Civil society gateway to the UN Study on Violence Against Children
• More about child rights in the United States
  

Previous Publication (general) items

• 04/03/2009: USA: Halfway Home - Unaccompanied Children in Immigration Custody
• 03/03/2009: VIOLENCE: Protect the Children! A guide to those working and living with children affected by violence
• 03/03/2009: VIOLENCE: Listening Learning Acting - Preventing and responding to violence against children in homes and communities
• 02/03/2009: U.A.E: Child Rights Reference in the Universal Periodic Review (Arabic)
• 02/03/2009: U.A.E: Child Rights Recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review (Arabic)

Organisation Contact Details:

Human Rights Watch
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor
New York, NY 10118-3299
Tel: 00 1 212 216 1837
Email: hrwnyc@hrw.org
Website: www.hrw.org

Last updated 05/03/2009 05:30:48

Please note that these reports are hosted by CRIN as a resource for Child Rights campaigners, researchers and other interested parties. Unless otherwise stated, they are not the work of CRIN and their inclusion in our database does not necessarily signify endorsement or agreement with their content by CRIN.