19 states still allow corporal punishment in schools

Washington Post - The Washington Post 19 states still allow corporal punishment in school Click here for more information! Subscribe Answer Sheet 19 states still allow corporal punishment in school Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google Plus Share via Email More Options Resize Text Print Article Comments 8 By Valerie Strauss September 18

File: Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. After a day of public pressure from angry fans and concerned sponsors, the Vikings have reversed course and placed Peterson, who has been indicted on charges or reckless or negligent injury to a child, on the exempt-commissioner’s permission list, the team announced Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014. The move will require him to stay away from the team while he addresses the child abuse charges in Texas. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt, File)

While a national debate roils about professional athletes whacking kids, it seems useful to remember that 19 states still allow children to be hit in public school, sometimes to the point of bruising. A federal data analysis found that on average, one child is hit in public school every 30 seconds somewhere in the United States.

While 31 states have now banned corporal punishment, these states still allow it: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming. In many places, parental permission is required — and often given. It is more prevalent in Texas; least prevalent in Wyoming. The last state to abolish it was New Mexico, in 2011.