My mother refused to spank me. And by that choice alone, she is a straight up visionary, way ahead of her time as a 19 year old single mother in the early 60's. What amplifies her smart instincts is the fact that she had spent a formative part of her childhood growing up in the Deep South, during Jim Crow. She watched first hand as black mothers would have to beat their own black sons and daughters in front of white onlookers in order to save their children's lives.
But when she gave birth to me she committed to a different vow. And further, as I moved into school during the first throes of mandatory busing and integration, she was constantly in teacher conferences with my white teachers who did not know how to deal with a gifted, mouthy, precocious black child. ...
It sometimes took my mom three buses and comp time from one of her two jobs to get to the school that I was bused to; but she always made it and I always knew she had my back. She kept those teachers who might have broken my spirit, intentionally or unintentionally, in check. I was then free to fly; to grow my mind and my imagination.
That is why the latest reports revealing that black and Native Indian children are more likely to be paddled in school by teachers and other school officials set off a visceral alarm for me.
Here's the bad news:
African American students are more than twice as likely to be paddled. The disparity persists even in places with large black populations, the study found.
Similarly, Native Americans were more than twice as likely to be paddled, the study found.
The study also found: --
In states where paddling is most common, black girls were paddled more than twice as often as white girls.
--Boys are three times as likely to be paddled as girls.
--Special education kids were more likely to be paddled.
More than 100 countries worldwide have banned paddling in schools, including all of Europe, Farmer said. "International human rights law puts a pretty strong prohibition on corporal punishment," she said. SOURCE
And before you let your mind race to Michelle Pfeiffer or Morgan Freeman look alike teachers being menaced by incorrigible street toughs in the classroom, let's take a look at what passes for a beating worthy offense:
Paddlings, swats, licks. A quarter of a million schoolchildren got them last year -- and blacks, American Indians and kids with disabilities got a disproportionate share of the punishment, according to a study by a human rights group. Even little kids can be paddled. Heather Porter, who lives in Crockett, Texas, was startled to hear her little boy, then 3, say he'd been spanked at school. Porter was never told, despite a policy at the public preschool that parents be notified. "We were pretty ticked off, to say the least. The reason he got paddled was because he was untying his shoes and playing with the air conditioner thermostat," Porter said. "He was being a 3-year-old."SOURCE
When he is beaten for curiosity, when he's beaten for "ants in the pants", what do you think that teaches him about exploration of his environment?
Do you spank your children?
Read More: Teachers Discipline Black Girls for being Assertive
Comments: (10)
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By: Urbanbella on 8/21/2008 11:28AM
Great read! I'm a firm believer that it is the responsibility of the parent to discipline their child.
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By: Taera on 8/21/2008 11:25AM
"Boys are three times as likely to be paddled as girls."
MY GOODNESS, there is such an anti-male bigotry in this country. Certainly none of this can have anything to do with behavior!
So parents, don't waste time teaching your children to obey the rules and behave well - just blame bigotry at every turn, just like this article writer seems to always do.
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By: Trisha on 10/24/2008 6:26PM
I live in Maine and my oldest Son (he will be 6 in Febuary) will be going to school this year. he has been going to the same daycare provider for three years and if i thought for one moment that my child was not being handled right i would lose my mind. and i wish some one the Maine school district would put their hands on him.They would have one mad Mother on their hands. no one has a right to put their hands on your children in any form or fashion. when they start taking care of my kids and living in my home then and only then are they allowed to dicipine my kids and even then they will not spank them or paddle them.
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By: Nicia on 8/21/2008 7:12PM
Trisha, I agree with your sentiments for the most part. Just a thought...If no one is allowed to discipline your child (paddling aside)you probably shouldn't put him in school. Home schooling would be your best option. If parents don't work with teachers and form an alliance then children have all the power. Far too many kids know that their parents will go off if any authority figure tries to correct them so the kids act a fool. I feel sorry for teachers and commend them for trying to teach in sometimes frustrating situations. I come from a family of teachers. Both my parents and both my brothers are teachers. I have heard way too many stories on how their biggest obstacle is not the kids, but the parents and the whole "You better not say nothing to my precious baby" mentality.
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By: sheber on 8/21/2008 7:38PM
Schools can not teach anti-bullying programs and be the biggest bullies of all. There are many school districts using positive discipline programs without a paddle that do just fine. If people really care enough to do the research they will know like the rest of the educated world that violence begets violence.
There's always a reason why kids act out, and it's always because of how they are and have been treated by adults. Until we practice what we preach and set a good example, we only have ourselves to blame!
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By: valhalla on 8/21/2008 9:32PM
When I was in school, paddling was allowed, but there was only one person who could do it, the disciplinarian. The parents also had to sign consent forms at the beginning of the school year to allow the child to be paddle, so it's not just anybody who could do it.
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By: SpeakTruth on 8/22/2008 11:40PM
As a teacher, understand that I'm a good teacher who's had the hard and most difficult experience in having spanked a child. I hate to my heart even this day. When a child is posing a danger to him/herself in the classroom as well as to other children even a young ages (6+) on top of the fact that, you have the parent saying just deal with it, it's very hard. Spanking isn't always the best solution but after several attempts to get with the parent and seeking help from others and being in a horrible situation because the child can't get what they want, they cause danger and harm to themselves and other students. Tell me would this be just cause to spank?
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By: Jarvis on 8/24/2008 8:30AM
TO TRISHA AND NICIA:
All kids are not the same. Some will need more discipline than others...meaning a paddle on their behinds.
This study do not surprise me...Black kids are growing up in SINGLE households to the tune of 70%. This has a negative effects on raising a child as well. These kids are more likely to have behavior problems.
You are not doing a child a favor when you take up for him/her for bad behavior.
School is a training ground...like I mention earlier, many will need a paddling at young ages.
WHY? If you don't USE the firm hand of discipline when they are young...many will end up ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE LAW WHEN THEY GET OLDER.
Its amazing, when corporal punishment was taken out of most schools, more and more BLACKS MEN, were put in PRISON. Now, Blacks make up 12% of the U.S. population but over 40% of the Prison Population.
Discipline and respect for AUTHORITY MUST be learned at Home first, and School second. If this is not taught when a child is young, say in ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, then when a child reach teenage years, it is too late.
When I was a child, I got my butt whip at home. If my parents leaned that I got a paddling at school, then when I got home, I recieve another BUTT WHIPPING.
RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY WAS THE RULE AT HOME AND SCHOOL.
REMEMBER, IT IS BETTER TO PUT HANDS ON A CHILD WHEN HE/SHE IS YOUNG....INSTEAD OF HAVING POLICE SLAP CUFFS ON THEM WHEN THEY ARE OLDER.
IT IS BETTER TO GIVE 10-20 SPANKING TO FORCE CORRECTIVE BEHAVIOR AND OBEDIENCE AT A YOUNG AGE THAN TO GET 10-20 YEARS IN THE STATE CORRECTION FACILITIES WHEN OLDER.
BLACK PARENTS....WAKE UP AND TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR CHILDREN.
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By: sheber on 9/01/2008 12:55AM
Facts vs. Opinion: School Corporal Punishment
Compiled by: Center for Effective Discipline
Studies show significantly more fatal school shootings took place in states that allow corporal punishment in schools.
Non-paddling states have higher ACT scores and higher graduation rates.
School corporal punishment is associated with higher incarceration rates of the adult population.
Eight of the top ten paddling states are in the top ten states with the highest incarceration rates.
http://www.stophitting.com/disatschool/fact-vs-opinion-school-corporal-punishment.php
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By: TRISHA on 10/24/2008 7:22PM
I HAD TO COME BACK TO THIS AGAIN, THIS IS FOR NICIA, IF YOU YOU WOULD HAVE READ WHAT I SAID YOU WOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD THAT MY CHILD DOES NOT NEED TO BE HOME SCHOOLED THE TOPIC SHOULD SCHOOLS BE ALLOWED TO PADDLE YOUR CHILDREN NOT WHETHER I DO OR NOT I DISCIPLINE HIM OR HIS BROTHER. I MEANT WHAT I SAID NO ONE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO PUT THEIR HANDS ON MY CHILDRE. IN THE DAY IN AGE WHEN A CHILD CAN PICK A PHONE AND SAY MY MOTHER OR FATHER IS HITTING ME AND THE CHILD PROTECTION AGENCY COMES IN YOUR HOME AND THEY PULL YOUR CHILD OUT AND FILES CHARGES AGAINST YOU. BECAUSE YOUR CHILD IS UPSET THAT YOU SPANKED HIM. IF YOU THINK FOR ONE MOMENT I WILL ALLOW MY CHILD TO DO THAT TO ME AND NOT SAY SOMETHING. THEN HOW AM I TO ALLOW SOMEONE WHO HAS NO CONNECTION TO MY CHILD TO DO IT AND BY ALL RIGHTS ITS OKAY.OH HELL NO. AND AS FOR RESPECT PEOPLE TEACHERS, MY JCHILDREN RESPECT ALL ADULTS. SOMETIMES KIDS GET OUT OF HAND BUT I HAVE TO DO IS GIVE MY KIDS A LOOK AND THEY ARE BACK IN LINE. THE DAY I HAVE TO BEAT THE HELL OUT OF MY KIDS TO MAKE THEM MIND THEN THAT IS THE DAY THEY WILL NO LONGER LIVE WITH ME. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT KIND OF KIDS YOUR PARENTS AND YOUR BROTHERS DEAL WITH BUT AS A PARENT IF YOU TELL ME THAT MY CHILD DOES SOMETHING HE IS NOT SUPPOSE TO DO THEN I WILL HANDLE THE SITUATION. LIKE I SAID BOTH OF MY KIDS HAVE BEEN GOING TO THE SAME DAYCARE FOR THE PAST THREE AND HALF YEARS AND NO PROBLEM AS OF YET. AS A MATTER OF FACT THEY LOVE MY KIDS LIKE THEIR OWN AND HAS TOLD TIMES THAT MY BOYS ARE RESPECTFUL,POLITE, AND CARE OF ALL THE KIDS. WE ARE ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL, I DO NOT GO OFF ON TEACHERS OR ANY ONE ELSE IN FRONT OF MY KIDS,THEY KNOW NOT TO DISRESPECT ANY ONE. IF YOU PANK KIDS FOR EVERY LITTLE THING YOU THINK THEY DID WRONG THEY WOULD NOT HAVE A BUTT TO SIT ON. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE KIDS OR NOT BUT WHEN YOU DO THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND.THE GOVERNMENT ALREADY TELLS US WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT TO MUCH AS IT IS. I DRAW THE LINE AT ANYONE TO PUT HANDS ON MY KIDS.I TEACH MY KIDS TO LEADERS NOT FOLLOWERS SO THEY KNOW NOT TO FOLLOW BEHIND SOMEONE AND GET IN TROUBLE. BECAUSE THEY HAVE ME AS A PARENT AND I AM NOT THAT OTHER CHILDS PARENT. HOW YOU DEAL WITH YOU KIDS IS UP TO YOU, BUT IN THIS HOUSE HOLD NOTHING GETS BY ME.AS A CHILD I GOT MY SPANKINGS WHEN NEED AND I SURVIORED AND THAT IS HOW AM RAISING MY KIDS.IF YOU ACT UP IN MY FAMILY ANY FAMILY MEMBER THAT WAS CLOSE BY COULD WHOOOP YOUR ASS. IF YOU STOPPING BUYING YOUR KIDS EVERYTHING THEY ASK FOR AND ALWAYS SAYING YES TO EVERYTHING.THEN YES THEY WILL GO TO SCHOOL AND THINK THEY DO THE SAME THING. LET YOUR KIDS KNOW THAT THEY HAVE EARN EVERYTHING INCLUDING AND REMEMBER JUST BECAUSE KIDS ARE SMALL THEY DO HAVE FEELING TOO. THE DAY THEY PUT IN POLICY IN MY KIDS SCHOOL THAT THEY GET TO DISCIPLINE MY KIDS THEN THEY BETTER PUT IN POLICY I GET TO DISCIPLINE YOU IN THE SAME MANNER IF I DISAGREE. THERE IS TO MUCH VIOLENCE IN THIS WORLD AS IT IS. JUST TRY AND EXPLAIN THE WAR TO YOUR KIDS AND SEE HOW THEY REACT TO THAT.
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