Bringing back punishment in schools

I do agree that children now adays are getting away with a lot more than they used to but I still dont think that anyone should be allowed to hit them it just confuses them and its disrepectful. however there should be some middle ground somewhere

Asleigh

'hitting them confuses them'. Give me a break here. We got teens running around the streets with guns and knives thinking they're Johnny Ten Men due to the fact that no one is disciplining them. Think!

Well regardless of wether they put it back in schools or not it begins at home. In my opinion the ones who get it at home already and are disciplined correctly never really do anything in school to be punished about. Not all teens are disrespectful, but it's more noticeable now days than it used to be. I suppose attitude is more prevalent. If it were to be taken care of when the child was small and knew the limitations then you would have alot less attitude now.
Dixie

Punishment for bad behavior, and disruption yes. In some school systems teacher can't even break up fights because if while they did a kid gets hurt, they could be held liable. That is downright ridiculous. Not only should you be able to break it up, but give each one a cuff to the back.

As for "discipling" students when they fall asleep, that's wrong. The kid isn't disrupting yur class, and you don't know why he is falling asleep. If it is because that child stayed up late playing video games, then whatever it is his fault for missing vital class teachings. It will probably reflect in his grade, if it doesn't, maybe he put in the extra effort.

But discplinary actions such as throwing objects, no that sholdn't happen. Too many teachers have bad aim and can possibly hit other students. I think the teacher should have some disciplinary measure to fall back on though. Just not for things the teacher thinks disrepectful if those things don't disrupt, like sleeping, or not doing homework.

Britt:

Well done and well said with your comments - I might go and read your npoetry now, seeing as your stacked with common sense.

since 1962-63 when they banned it, schools have been getting worse and worse. what happened to the high morals of america they ask. well it's surprising how the schools all of a sudden started going to ther dogs when they took it away.

a referral isn't going to stop junior from setting cindy's hair on fire, but a few swats will. hang that paddle in the principle's office and when that kid waltzes in he'll be in no great mood.

I think it would be good if it came back.
It will teach kids to not do things they aren't suppose too.

These days a parent aren't even allowed to smack/hit their own kids.

My parents used to hit us when we were younger and it taught us not to do it again.

:Sarah:

I agree with Liz 100% no one has the right to hit or smack a child.

I should say I don`t believe in hitting kids but I work in a behavioral school and we have a behavioral intervention team to physically restrain the kids if needed, maybe public schools will eventually come to this.My school is strugling with this issue now ,theres no easy solution.All of our staff is trained in physical restraint,it doesn`t really hurt the kids but you have to contain their behavior in the case of violence.

If I was still in school. I'd dare 'em to hit me! They'd be laying on the flat of their back not knowing what hit them! Hah! I'm okay...

We're not talking about some sweet little child, we're talking about some disrespectful kid. Disrespect in schools is becoming more and more prevalant, and teachers can't do a damn thing about it. It's sad. I feel terrible for teachers. Stupid a hole kids. Sure, some 8 year old shouldn't be being smacked, all 8 year olds are obnoxious and misbehave..but 12 and up should be fine. A 12 year old is responsible enough to know the difference between right and wrong. Perhaps violence is wrong to promote, but a little smack here and there for intentionally rude behavior isn't too uncalled for. Am I wrong?

I especially feel bad for substitutes.

OK... here goes... speaking as a teenager (not now!) who DID get caned on more than one occasion when I was at school, all I can say is that it never did me any harm (and I think we even got a bit of kudos amongst our peers)... however, what kind of message does it give out to those who receive it? Violence is ok in order to achieve "correct" behaviour? IMO, violence of any sort is not acceptable, whether it's at school or at home, it gives our youth the wrong impression of how things *should* work.

I don't blive in bringing back the good ol' hand smacking with the ruler, but I do believe in making the punishment more severe. My mother teaches 8th grade math with people that failed math in 7th grade. They don't care if they get a zero for not doing an assignment! What they care about is redoing the zero for a 70. One time a kid was on his knees begging for my mother to not make him redo his homework and let him get a zero. It was pathetic. Anyway, kids to not care if they go to alternative school. I think punishments should get worse. Like instead if they give you attitude, then you can be able to tape their mouth shut and put them in the back of the room until you're ready to deal with them. Something along those lines.

I believe that those who have referred to a good spanking as violence need to seriously redefine your choice of words. A good spanking is not performed with any malice, nor is it done harmfully. It is not a violent act. If anything it is an act which is fully undercontrol and has none of the attachments as a violent act. A good spanking is simply a determent to a certain action. Their is a vast difference between beating a child or abusing a child and giving a child a spanking when the child needs one. As for those who argue that teachers are there to teach, not to discipline, guess what, you are so right. Teachers are there to teach, and while teaching academics, they mine as well teach a little bit of respect and discipline too. I mean, that is what we good taxpaying citizens pay them to do right? So lets give them the full extent of their job.

I happen to agree to some extent, Me being Italian I was brought up on strict rules and punishments as well as a good ass kicking when needed, However; I don't think it should be implemented for older kids, I think it should stop once you reach a certian age or grade, and then it becomes a type of sexual harasment or abuse sort of speak. I am all for Disipline in children for kids are not like they used to be back in the day, yes kids misbehaved and did bad stuff, that will be inevitable to stop, however; they where stictly disiplined whether by their parents or teachers.

Peace, Joe

Respect is promoted in my house, but not through violence. I suppose we did have a Time Out chair, but I was honestly never a bad kid. I'm very respectful of teachers, authority for the most part, and the majority of my peers. Just thought you all should know! Hahaha.

Ok anyway:

"Their is a vast difference between beating a child or abusing a child and giving a child a spanking when the child needs one."

^ Ha! You have been brainwashed! Spanking is violence, how can you possibly think otherwise? Honestly, it is a parent's job to teach respect and manners...I'm not sure why so many parents are incapable of carrying out this job on impressionable little children, except through violence/spanking. When I was young, I saw some of my friends spoiled rotten by their parents, and never scolded for anything. Very strange. Anyway, violence at home is wrong. Respect should be natural for any child with proper raising. In the classroom, if a parent has failed to do their job, and a child is completely disrespectful--they should be sent to the principle's office or have a personal talk with the teacher. As I said before, once a child has reached approximately 12+, or say, middle school, discipline is to be expected. If a kid does something outright disrespectful and/ore rude they should be smacked. I would hope a 12 year old knows the difference between right and wrong, rude and polite.

Ah, and I babysit a little girl. For the most part, she is sweet and adorable, but sometimes she intentionally ignores me or misbehaves. I would never hit her, it is not my place. That is a parent's job. BUT, I would never let her get away with that kind of disrespect. I grab her arm (not hard, don't worry) and say "Chiara, look at me. Listen to me when I'm talking to you, ok? Ignoring people is rude." All of this I say with a very stern face, pointing my finger at her. I don't let her look away until she has appologized.

It works.

So you go with the whole lets demoralize the child instead of make his or her bottom hurt. Spanking is not violent if done correctly.
Here are all the definitions of violence from dictionary.com.
1. swift and intense force: the violence of a storm.
2. rough or injurious physical force, action, or treatment: to die by violence.
3. an unjust or unwarranted exertion of force or power, as against rights or laws: to take over a government by violence.
4. a violent act or proceeding.
5. rough or immoderate vehemence, as of feeling or language: the violence of his hatred.
6. damage through distortion or unwarranted alteration: to do editorial violence to a text.

As one can see, spanking a child would pertain to those definitions that have to do with humans. As you can tell from these, spankings can be defined as non-violent.

One more question, you don't like spanking yet you will grab a childs arm? How do you not let the girl you babysit look away from you without exerting a physical force upon her.

And to quote a very old text: "Spare the rod; spoil the child."

Hahaha, the same way you would grab a friend's arm. Not harmful. Touch is a form of drawing attention. I do not 'force' her to look at me physically. Holding her arm, light enough that she could slip away, is enough. It is not painful in any sense. "Look at me," with stern intent. Words can be forceful without being mean or violent. Respect, not obedience, that is what I believe in.

By what you said, spanking is violent. How can you not admit that? Just because it is a child's rear, does not make it less cruel. Verbal communication is what makes us human.

the same way words can be forceful yet not mean nor harmful, a spanking can be too.

"By what you said, spanking is violent."

^ I can say this because it is true. spanking can be non-violent. Just because something may hurt does not mean it is violent. When kids climb a tree, and that child falls from one branch to another, scraping his knees until they bleed, do you call that tree violent. No? Much like the same way a parent can tell a child consistently to not do something, yet if the child repeatedly disobeys, the parent can very calmly tell the child, "Come Here, it's time to get spanked because you disobeyed." When the child gets there the parent turns the child around and gives the child a smart smack on the butt. It might smart for a second or two, but no extreme force is used. In this sense the parent is the tree, the parent did not budge and the child knew the consequences before testing the boundaries. Nothing the parent does is highly emotional or out of character. Everything is said and done in love, and there is no break in the relationship. There is nothing violent about that.

Were you ever spanked as a child? And do the people you babysit for spank their child?

No and no. Spanking would have made me very resentful, as I'm sure it makes many kids. I do not approve of spanking. It is degrading and VIOLENT. Period. If I did something wrong, my parents informed me not only of the act's wrongness, but the reasons for it being wrong. Kids are not intentionally malicious, they need reasons. Get through to your kids with words, not slaps on the butt.

Due to the fact that you have never been spanked, and therefore have no experience whatsoever in the matter, you have no grounds to tell me that spanking cannot be done in a non-violent way.

Spankings can be violent, depending upon how they are issued, but so can verbal discipline. However, as one can see through the school systems, verbal types of punishment are becoming useless due to the lack of power they have. Sitting down in front of the principal has no effect on many children because they understand that now-a-days the principal poses no real threatening consequences in many school systems.

As I have said, I agree with small amounts of physical punishment in the classroom, for a teacher is not responsible for a child's misbehavior, and therefore, may carry out certain acts in maintaining discipline in his/her classroom. A teacher must have courteous students in order to teach. At home, manners should be taught, not necessarily punished. Respect, as I have said, not obedience.

My ex boyfriend was spanked as a child, and now, as a 19 year old, it still affects him. He resents his parents. He is a generally violent person, and I wonder if being spanked at such an impressionable, tender age influenced such agressiveness.

I think spanking is better than what could happen. It is better than out of nowhere hitting a child, or slapping his knuckles with a ruler. I think schools should have a list of the type of behaviors that will not be tolerated and what punishments these actions warrant. This would give the children a prior knowledge, therefore giving them the ability to stay away from any action that would get them disciplined.

Not a bad idea. Personally, I think a slap across the knuckles is less degrading, and more to the point, than a spanking. Spanking takes humiliation too far, especially in front of a large group of the child's peers, and could potentially create other issues. A slap across the knuckles, or just a loud whap on the desk, seems enough. It takes little time away from teaching.

One of my teachers in highschool used rulers to slap students' desks. I say rulers, because she broke several. That was a good class.

I think that if they are being disrespectful as in interupting or just talking, then the teacher should have a right to ducktape their mouths and sit them in the back of the room until they are ready to be dealt with.

^ Not bad, not bad.

ducktape their mouths!!!
that's a little harsh.
Maybe cause im a teen.
but...i don't think they should be able to do that!

For those who say they would be pissed if somebody else gave there child a spanking to teach them a lesson, maybe if you did it at home you wouldn't have to worry about it. If you have a teenager who is out of control then it's to late to fix the problem, get control of your kids while there still young, make them understand whats right, don't just tell them.

GG23

Punch them in the face to prove your right - haha just kidding.

I think that teenagers aren't "disrespectful" - we are just too young to have given in because "thats the way things are done", but old enough to have our own opinions.
Also, I think that using physical punishments for children is admitting a lack of control and is ridiculous to allow in school or anywhere.it doesn't benefit the CHILD, just the ADULT (as a release of anger). violence only leads to more violence.

After reading some of the posts about bratty, disrespectful kids, i want to add that i think some kids need the occasional slap on their face (that way u don't have to deal with the whole "teacher touching private part" thing) if only to catch them of guard and make them look a little stupid (not humiliated, just a little less important and powerful, which is how they see themselves).