I remember those 13 years well. Depending on how you look at it my worst was an eraser in the eye, or getting kicked out of school.

Quote Originally Posted by Thorne View Post
I grew up in the Catholic school system and somehow managed to get through it, despite corporal punishment. Of course, the worst thing I can remember happening, aside from having my parents informed of any bad behavior, is having my knuckles rapped with a ruler.

But there is a difference between corporal punishment and abuse. Beating a child until they require medical treatment (or a funeral) is abuse, pure and simple. Striking anyone, much less a child, in the head is dangerous and educators who do that should be prosecuted.

Being the father of two boys, who seemed to get through their school years with less problems than I had, I feel that eliminating all corporal punishment is a mistake. It should never be done in anger, and should probably be administered by someone other than the teacher. But "punishing" a kid by giving them in-school suspension, or even at-home suspension, is just giving them a holiday from classes. It might be boring for them, but they're unlikely to learn from it.

Let's face it, sometimes you have to treat kids like the proverbial mule: a proverbial carrot can entice them to get moving, and sometimes a proverbial stick can encourage them to get moving, but sometimes you need the proverbial 2x4 between the eyes just to get their attention.