Violence toward children in the classroom


ABUSE IN SCHOOLS IS OUT!
A check list of abusive treatment of schoolchildren and advice to parents

HTML version
PDF version


  • PADDLING STATES Where the beating of schoolchildren is practiced and condoned

  • Top ten pupil-battering states in the U.S. Look at these batting averages. See who's in the Education Hall of Shame.
    1997-98 School Year
    1996-97 School Year

  • "...Schools are often perceived by parents as bearers of cultural norms concerning proper child rearing practices and discipline. Hence, when schools and other child care settings employ practices not conducive to optimal child development, e.g., corporal punishment and other demeaning and threatening, negative disciplinary measures, they convey a subtle message to parents, namely that such measures are appropriate, as they are sanctioned by education authorities and 'experts'..."

    From "Violence Against Children," by David G. Gill, Professor of Social Policy, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts.


    A Letter to School Boards in Paddling Districts


    NORTH CAROLINA - Disarming the paddlers


    Advice to a student who asks: "How can we protect ourselves from corporal punishment at school?"
    September 2007


    Correlation between high rates of corporal punishment in public schools and social pathologies


    Forced exercise as punishment


    Toxic schools of Texas
    By Jordan Riak, 2000



          

    FOUR AMERICAN EDUCATORS WITH THEIR TOOLS OF THE TRADE
    QUESTION: Who, other than schoolteachers, smacks people on the buttocks as part of their paid professional duties?
    ANSWER: Click here.

    A model letter to lawmakers, policymakers and others in positions of responsibility and influence in regions that permit corporal punishment of schoolchildren to

    ARE PADDLING SCHOOLS SANCTUARIES FOR SEXUAL PREDATORS? A letter from PTAVE to education department heads in paddling states and their responses

    CAN YOU IDENTIFY THIS TEACHER?

    SCHOOL UNIFORMS: Discipline of Abuse?

    A DOCTOR'S BAD MEDICINE, By Patrick Briody, April 2007

    TIME FOR A FEDERAL LAWSUIT OVER PADDLER PROTECTION ACTS?
    Letter to PTAVE from Jeff Charles, February 13, 2007

    1. Teacher suspended following allegation, By Mark Locklear,The Robsonian, April 10, 2008

    2. DiPalma: Teacher/sex offender sentenced, Jefferson County, Colorado, April 4, 2008

    3. Shame on Arkansas, Guest Editorial, By Jordan Riak, Arkansas Times, April 3, 2008

    4. Police: Teacher Told Class to Hit Tardy Student, FOX News, March 31, 2008

    5. Up the down stairs -- and up again and again At Shirley schools, a new punishment has some parents howling. Arkansas Times, March 6, 2008

    6. Spanking Kids Causes Sexual Problems, By MedHeadlines, February 29, 2008

    7. TN principal under investigation for paddling injury, WBIR.COM, February 29, 2008

    8. Spanking Kids Increases Risk of Sexual Problems as Adults, New Research Shows, By Murray Straus, University of New Hampshire, February 28, 2008

    9. Spanking may lead to sexual deviancy in years of maturity, Front page / Science, SOURCE: http://english.pravda.ru/news/, February 28, 2008

    10. The whip, the paddle, the hickory switch, Presentation, Feb. 23, 2008, Black History Month Celebration, San Mateo Public Library, by Jordan Riak

    11. Dangerous Product Injures Children: Consumer Product Safety Commission looks at child safety with one eye shut, Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education, August 2007
      WARNING - These images may be deeply disturbing to some viewers. Do not open this page if children are present.

    12. The worst of all bad habits (If this or any other PDF page fails to open due to a pop-up blocker on your system, hold down the "Ctrl" button and click the link again.) Photographs of schoolchildren's paddling-related injuries and an open letter to educators and education policymakers in paddling districts
      WARNING - These images may be deeply disturbing to some viewers. Do not open this page if children are present.

    13. Violated schoolchildren: corporal punishment-induced trauma
      WARNING - These images may be deeply disturbing to some viewers. Do not open this page if children are present.

    14. To paddle or not to paddle? That's the question before state lawmakers., MyFOXCleveland.com, January 29, 2008

    15. Camp Teacher Admits Spanking Boy's Bare Buttocks, TheDenverChannel.com, January 28, 2008

    16. Graduate of a school for troubled teens describes dangerous "therapy."

    17. Ohio Governor Ted Strickland supports paddling ban -- Introduction of legislation to outlaw corporal punishment in schools brings issue into spotlight., By William Hershey, Staff Writer, Dayton Daily News, December 11, 2007

    18. Hidden from View - Few fired for physical abuse; Severe sanctions for educators more likely in sexual cases, By Jill Riepenhoff and Jennifer Smith Richards, The Columbus Dispatch, November 18, 2007

    19. INDIA - Policy against corporal punishment planned, Special Correspondent, The Hindu, November 18, 2007

    20. Corporal punishment: Blatant violation of human dignity, By Pranita Mishra, Kantipur Publications Pvt. Ltd. , November 16, 2007

    21. INDIA: Student Succumbs To Teacher’s Blows -- A fourteen-year-old student who battled for his life for the last two weeks has succumbed to corporal punishment., medindia.net, November 7, 2007

    22. Admitting abuse but free to teach; Oregon education - Criminal convictions for admitted sexual misconduct are hit and miss Amy Hsuan, Melissa Navas and Bill Graves, The Oregonian, October 21, 2007

    23. Legal loopholes keep some teacher misconduct records secret, By Juliet Williams, The Associated Press, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 20, 2007

    24. Sexual misconduct plagues U.S. schools; AP finds 2,500 teachers punished in 5 years, By Martha Irvine and Robert Tanner, The Associated Press, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 20, 2007

    25. 125 Wash. teachers punished for sexual misconduct over 5 years, By Donna Gordon Blankinship,The Associated Press, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 20, 2007

    26. Principal Admits Spanking Preschooler; State Attorney To Decide Whether To Press Charges, News4jax.com, September 6, 2007

    27. Abuse, neglect appear widespread in Texas schools for retarded, By Emily Ramshaw and Amy Rosen, Dallas Morning News, July 23, 2007

    28. Mississippi Sued Over Alleged Abuse at Girls Detention Center, FOXNews.com, July 12, 2007

    29. Most districts still use paddle, By Rebecca Helmes, Jackson Clarion-Ledger, July 8, 2007

    30. Back to the Past?, By Adam Lynch, Jacksonfreepress.com, July 3, 2007

    31. Spanking a child is an act of violence, By Nina Adel, Robertson County Times - TN, June 28, 2007

    32. Second Grader Stripped Naked, Spanked in Front of Classmates; School Principal calls it "a family matter", By Jane Watrel, WRC/NBC News Channel, February 28, 2007

    33. Aunt's Whipping of Boy in Class Investigated, By Nelson Hernandez, Washington Post Staff Writer, Washington Post, February 27, 2007

    34. Spanker protection bill dies in Senate, By Dion Lefler, Eagle Topeka bureau, Wichita Eagle, February 20, 2007

    35. Texas looks at banning spanking in schools By Ramon Bracamontes, El Paso Times, February 16, 2007

    36. Just another Mississippi school paddling, Reported to PTAVE, January 21, 2007

    37. NYCLU Calls On State Regents To Reject Regulations Permitting Schools To Use Noxious Stimuli To Punish Students With Disabilities, By NYCLU, January 8, 2007

    38. KANSAS: Proposal would give immunity to schools that spank, By Dion Lefler, The Wichita Eagle, January 6, 2007

    39. Stop paddling students; Lawmakers should ban corporal punishment statewide, EDITORIAL: The Charlotte Observer, January 4, 2007

    40. Union County, N.C. Weighs Pupil-Beating, A letter from PTAVE to local area education policymakers and media, December 31, 2006

    41. Taiwan bans corporal punishment in schools; moves toward being an advanced, nurturing society, EDITORIAL, Taiwan Journal

    42. We Weren't Unbeatable -- An Open Letter to a Disciplinarian, By Spike, (Undated)

    43. Paddling and Gender, By David Hill, January 2, 2007

    44. 2006 School Corporal Punishment Report Card, By Robert E. Fathman, Ph.D., President, National Coalition to Abolish Corporal Punishment in Schools, December 15, 2006

    45. Letter to writer John Balch of the Nashville Leader about the Murfreesboro school paddling incident, By Barbara Neff, November 22, 2006

    46. Parents file complaint over swats By Donna Hales, Phoenix Staff Writer , The Muskogee Phoenix, November 14, 2006

    47. Authorities investigating school discipline incident, By John Balch, Leader staff, Nashville Leader, November 8, 2006

    48. Atty. J. Robert Sheppard, Jr.'s Letter to the Members of the Union County Board of Education, October 30, 2006

    49. Ban Corporal Punishment North Carolina

    50. Why doesn't the law work to protect my child at school?, By Yvette Smith, Antioch, California, August 2005

    51. School of Last Resort, By Maria Eftimiades, PEOPLE, October 23, 2006

    52. Teacher accused of abusing autistic child, By Jennifer Brevorka, Staff Writer, The News-Observer, May 17, 2006

    53. Parents: Teacher crossed the line with discipline -- Police report filed over alleged stomping incident, By Monica Chen, The Herald, October 3, 2006

    54. The children lose a friend, keep a screamer, A letter to PTAVE from a teacher, May 13, 2006

    55. DeSoto Parish School System is Unsafe for Children, June 5, 2005

    56. One Toxic Middle School in Mississippi, Letter from a Substitute Teacher to Project NoSpank, March 22, 2005

    57. Sue Nunn's letter to each member of the Pennsylvania House Education Committee and a response from Rep. Paul I. Clymer, February 2005


      Illustration published by the Anti-slavery Office, Boston 1845

    58. Letter from a mom and a reply, September 29, 2004

    59. My son needs help!, By Robin Currin, mother of Brandon March 29, 2004

    60. The Turning Point, A letter to PTAVE from Bruce M., March 24, 2004

    61. Teacher’s pets, By Khary Kimani Turner, Metro Times staff writer, Metro Times, February 18, 2004

    62. Why I am home schooling the rest of this year, By Sydney Banks (Age 12), September 24, 2003

    63. Serial child abuser finds easy prey in classrooms - Children's safeguards are scant to nonexistent, By Barbara Neff, June 8, 2003

    64. Lucifer's Brothers - A Memoir, By Casey, April 25, 2003

    65. In Defense of an Educator Accused of Child Abuse, By Jordan Riak, April 2003

    66. Dorothy Neddermeyer's comments about "In Defense of an Educator Accused of Child Abuse" and Riak's response

    67. Spanking is sexual harassment, A letter to PTAVE from Richard C., April 19, 2003

    68. A letter from Angela in Mississippi, April 18, 2003

    69. Problems at a Christian(?) school, A letter from Ruth D., April 2003

    70. CHADD Expresses Outrage Over Abuse 7-Year-Old Experiences at Hands of Teacher, Statement by Evelyn Polk Green, M.S.Ed, CHADD President, April 4, 2003

    71. Letter from Jordan Riak to California Assembly Member Lois Wolk, March 31, 2003

    72. School Justice: Punish the Victim, A letter from a mother to PTAVE, February 11, 2003

    73. Abuse in the classroom -- A letter from Jordan Riak to all members of the California state legislature, January 2003.

    74. Why physical punishment in schools is a bad idea, By Justin Wyllie, October 2002

    75. Who are the real bullies?, By Elizabeth Pfeiffer January 2003.

    76. Yes ... spare the rod; Early educator rejected corporal punishment, By Robert D. Ilisevich, The Meadville Tribune, April 12, 2005

    77. Bullied ... by the teacher?, By Kathleen M. Heins, Better Homes & Gardens: "Raising Kids", September 2003,

    78. Sheri B. writes to PTAVE, January 12, 2003.

    79. Are you a bully? By Linda Starr, from Education World, February 4, 2003

    80. Editorial: Molesters for export -- It's elementary: Schools shouldn't 'pass the trash' , Post-Gazette.com, November 7, 1999

    81. Dirty Secrets: Why sexually abusive teachers aren't stopped , First of a three-part series by Jane Elizabeth Zemel and Steve Twedt, Post-Gazette, October 31, 1999
      Part Two Flawed system aids bad teachers
      Part Three State education officials want legislators' help to end sexual abuse

    82. The Boom Boom Method, B Lisa Gray, Houston Press, April 24, 1997.

    83. Rape: Lesson No. 1, Anon., August 1997

    84. Corporal Punishment and Child Abuse -- Why do we continue to sanction child abuse in the classroom?, By Dr. Frederick C. Green, November/December 1988, "The Humanist"

    85. Shelly S. Gaspersohn:
      1. Testimony of to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice, October 17, 1984
      2. Don't Inflict My Pain on Others
      3. Good Old-Fashioned Discipline


    PADDLING & LYNCHING
    In The United States

    Top ten paddling states

    1. Mississippi
    2. Arkansas
    3. Alabama
    4. Tennessee
    5. Oklahoma
    6. Louisiana
    7. Texas
    8. Georgia
    9. Missouri
    10. New Mexico

    SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 2000 Elementary and Secondary School Civil Rights Compliance Report.

    Top ten lynching states

    1. Mississippi
    2. Georgia
    3. Texas
    4. Louisiana
    5. Alabama
    6. Florida
    7. Arkansas
    8. Tennessee
    9. South Carolina
    10. Kentucky

    SOURCE: The Charles Chesnutt Digital Archive


    HAVE YOU BEEN
    TO THE NEWSROOM?
    CLICK HERE!
    SEE RELATED:
    Health Risks to Children Associated With Forced Retention of Bodily Waste: A statement by healthcare professionals
    Look who's behind the whistle: School coaches out of control

    Front Page