This article examines corporal punishment in U.S. public schools, proposes a national conversation regarding its use, and advocates for a national policy to promote nonviolent discipline methods and prohibit corporal punishment of children in educational settings. The United States remains one of the few postmodern societies without a national policy, and close to a quarter of a million students are corporally punished in public schools annually. The article briefly reviews research regarding the effectiveness of corporal punishment, describes its historical roots and current use by educators, and examines corporal punishment of schoolchildren through a human rights and social justice lens.
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