Paddling a 16-year-old giirl at school: is everyone stupid here?

[RevdKathy]

Genius. Can't beat teaching kids that violence is an appropriate way to resolve issues. That aside from acclimatising young women to male violence so they'll be more passive about it when their husbands beat shit out of them. That's a woman's place, I assume, in Texas, judging from the Mother's response. Teach her to be a Good (obedient, passive, punchbag) girl.

(Don't know where you're getting the idea teens need up to 5000 kcals a day. The NHS disagrees. Though of course, we are trying to actively prevent teen obesity, rather than encourage it)

[{ Emilia }]

Apparently this shit is quite common in the US... Check out the maps.

Sometimes I honestly can't believe the US and Europe are said to be part of the same so-called "Western World". There's more than an ocean separating us.

[Ethros]

Maple Dog wrote:

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I instantly thought of that when I saw the thread title. In fact I can't really take this story seriously because I just keep laughing thinking of that
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFgR0m-9FmM

[horatio83]

I have taught for some time so I understand that a teacher can become frustrated but violence is never an option. It is a difficult job which is precisely why it should be far better paid and why only people with pedagogic skills should be teachers.
I know three people who have had a violent father. They all have at least minor psychological problems (OK, who doesn't) and bear these scars on their soul for the rest of their lives.

[Robert Maxwell]

I think the gender of the person doing the paddling is really beside the point. If it was a woman doing it, it'd still be wrong and completely inappropriate. A man doing it just makes it more unseemly. But there is no reason at all why a teacher should be paddling a teenager. That's just ridiculous.

I never got any corporal punishment at school--my parents forbade the school from doing it. I got it very occasionally at home.

[Alidar Jarok]

Tora Ziyal wrote:

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And now I've read somewhere (sorry, lost the link) that the school has solved the policy violation problem by changing the policy, so that staff members of either gender may now administer corporal punishment to any student. Talk about going backwards.

For what it's worth, while I don't support corporal punishment in schools, I'm ok with this small fact. The reason there is that one gender was getting disproportionately punished because there weren't enough teachers of the other gender. If it is to be administered, it has to be done even-handedly. Now that's entirely separate from whether it should be administered. I personally think it's counter-productive at best and likely to produce greater problems in the future.

{ Emilia } wrote:

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Apparently this shit is quite common in the US... Check out the maps.

Sometimes I honestly can't believe the US and Europe are said to be part of the same so-called "Western World". There's more than an ocean separating us.

For what it's worth, half of Europe (including Italy) allow parents to administer corporal punishment, according to that map.

[Rhaven]

I went to parochial schools from kindergarten through HS. I seem to remember being spanked until the 6'th grade (age 10 to 11). Then of course, a note was sent home detailing your infraction to your parents.
A single swat on the bottom is nothing compared to what the nuns could think up to punish us hellions.

I do agree though, that a 16 year is too old to be spanked and a male shouldn't have been the one to administer said swat.

[{ Emilia }]

Alidar Jarok wrote:

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For what it's worth, half of Europe (including Italy) allow parents to administer corporal punishment, according to that map.

So does every single US state. I also know how to read maps, thanks.
And I thought we were talking about schools. There's a difference between having the state tell parents how to raise their kids and state representatives (teachers) beating kids themselves.
Not that I agree with either.

Also: Any specific reason for singling out Italy where corporal punishment in schools has been banned since 1928? Sulking because I'm not all that impressed by the US in this case?

[Trekker4747]

In fairness, the school got permission from the mother before spanking the teenager. But the spanking was severe enough the actually wound the young woman, which I think speaks volumes. Even if you rightfully spank a child in discipline, if you leave bruises CPS will be knocking on your door if it's discovered.

[Alidar Jarok]

{ Emilia } wrote:

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So does every single US state. I also know how to read maps, thanks.
And I thought we were talking about schools. There's a difference between having the state tell parents how to raise their kids and state representatives (teachers) beating kids themselves.
Not that I agree with either.

Well, I don't agree with corporal punishment. I'm just saying that it's allowed in some circumstances in Europe (negating comments from others that, if a parent did it, child protective services would be called). I understood this case to involve the consent of the parent. I don't want to have to get into in loco parentis, which is a whole different can of worms.

Also: Any specific reason for singling out Italy where corporal punishment in schools has been banned since 1928? Sulking because I'm not all that impressed by the US in this case?

Ho scelto Italia perché è un paese che usa punizione corporale in qualche circostanze (e perché conosco alcune persone dall'Italia). Mi scusi si ho causato offesa (e per la mia grammatica). Credo che Italia è un paese modernisso ed è probabilmente meglio degli stati uniti. Ma punizione corporale non era una cosa del passato persino nell'Europa occidentally.

[J. Allen]

{ Emilia } wrote:

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Apparently this shit is quite common in the US... Check out the maps.

Sometimes I honestly can't believe the US and Europe are said to be part of the same so-called "Western World". There's more than an ocean separating us.

Oh my god, I can't believe it! Ohio isn't one of the pro-paddling states!

[Knight Templar]

What is wrong with corporal punishment anyway?

Worked just fine in schools for centuries.

[Alidar Jarok]

Actually, it's been statistically proven to hurt the development of children, limit their educational growth, and essentially give them a mild form of post-traumatic stress disorder.

[CaptainStoner]

Spanking should only be carried out by adults on other adults.

[Knight Templar]

Alidar Jarok wrote:

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Actually, it's been statistically proven to hurt the development of children, limit their educational growth, and essentially give them a mild form of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Can you post a link from an unbiased site?

That is one that does not take a position on corporal punishment.