PTAVE's Letter About Child Abuse to Selected Arkansans and Their Responses
January 2004

Dear __________:

We invite your response to two serious questions:

1) If a parent punishes a child by beating him or her on the buttocks with a piece of wood, thereby physically injuring the child, does that constitute child abuse in Arkansas?

2) If a schoolteacher punishes a pupil, using exactly the same method described in Question 1, with exactly the same outcome, does that constitute child abuse in Arkansas?

The foregoing questions are not rhetorical. According to Arkansas Department of Education statistics, the number of reported incidents of corporal punishment, commonly referred to as "paddling" or "swats," was 48,068 for the 2002-2003 school year, or 10.7% of the total Arkansas student population. The experience of one family in Cushman, Arkansas, is illustrative. The mother informed us that on September 5, 2003, her son, who is a high school student in the Cushman School District, was punished by being beaten on his buttocks by a schoolteacher wielding a piece of wood. As a result, the boy sustained contusions, hamstring damage, was unable to sit or walk normally, and experienced considerable pain. On September 7, 2003, the mother brought her son to White River Medical Center where he was examined, diagnosed, and prescribed acetaminophen to alleviate pain, ice packs to reduce swelling, and was told to keep weight off his legs and to walk with crutches for three days. On the same day, the mother filed a complaint with the Arkansas State Police, Crimes Against Children Division. In a letter to the mother dated October15, 2003, that agency responded: "The evidence does not support the allegation of child maltreatment." Subsequently, she contacted Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education (Web site: www.nospank.net) and mailed us copies of pertinent documents including the hospital report and photographs of her son's bruises.

In The Cushman School District alone, which has a total student enrollment of 386, there were 241 reported incidents of corporal punishment for the 2002-2003 school year. It is impossible to estimate the number of injuries that resulted because victims tend to be too frightened to complain, and parents typically are unaware of the problem unless they notice their child limping, unable to sit, or see marks on the child's buttocks when the child is dressing or bathing.

As a public service -- but mainly for the benefit of parents of schoolchildren in Arkansas who object to this form of pediatric violence -- we have published this letter on the Web at www.nospank.net/arinfo.htm. Your response to the above questions, including any additional comments you may wish to make, will be linked from your name which is in the list of recipients below the letter.

Thank you for your prompt attention.

See items that were enclosed with this letter:

1) Photos of paddling-related injuries

2) Articles about the relationship between paddling and slavery

Sincerely,

Jordan Riak, Exec. Dir.
Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education (PTAVE)
P.O. Box 1033
Alamo, CA 94507-7033

E-mail: riak@nospank.net

Tel.: (925) 831-1661

Web site: Project NoSpank at www.nospank.net

Recipients and their responses Readers are advised to return to this page from time to time to see responses which will be posted as they arrive.
Click on any name to see that person's contact information, and, if the name is preceded by a bullet, to see that person's response to our letter. When revisiting, be sure to hit the "refresh" button so that the most recent update appears on your screen, and not a chached copy from your previous visit.

On January 10, 2004, the above letter, on PTAVE stationery, was mailed to the following:

On January 26, 2004, the above letter, on PTAVE stationery, was mailed to the following members of the Arkansas state legislature:

On February 18, 2004, the above letter, on PTAVE stationery, was mailed to the following:

On February 21, 2004, the above letter, on PTAVE stationery, was mailed to the following:

On February 23, 2004, the above letter, on PTAVE stationery, was mailed to the following:

On February 24, 2004, the above letter, on PTAVE stationery, was mailed to the following:

On February 29, 2004, the above letter, on PTAVE stationery, was mailed to the following:

HAVE YOU BEEN
TO THE NEWSROOM?
CLICK HERE!
See typical corporal punishment-related injuries to schoolchildren at nospank.net/a7-05.pdf
Front Page








count starts at 51
Free Web Counters
Tower.com