Texas District Approves Paddling Students as a Behavioral Punishment

Many parents and students would assume that paddling is a thing of the past. Due to the mindset that violence only perpetuates more violence and that physical forms of punishment are not appropriate for children, using a paddle to reprimand a child in the classroom seems outdated. But, KXAN reports that 19 states still allow for corporal punishment, and one Texas school district, Three Rivers ISD, has opted in to use paddling once again.

Located in-between Corpus Christi and San Antonio, Three Rivers Independent School District trustees voted 6-0 to approve of the use of a paddle on children for corporal punishment. (The Caller-Times defines corporal punishment as “ the deliberate infliction of physical pain by hitting, paddling, spanking, slapping, or any other physical force used as a means of discipline.”)

Parents can opt out of the form of punishment for their children, which the district says they will respect. Three Rivers Elementary campus behavior coordinator Andrew Amaro says that paddling was used on him during school, and he hopes it will have an “immediate effect” on the misbehaving children rather than the threat of detention. The district plans on comparing the data about disciplinary actions the year before to see if the paddling has decreased misbehavior.

In 2016, Department of Education secretary John B. King Jr. said that “students who are administered corporal punishment in school are more likely to later grapple with substance abuse and mental health issues, including depression, personality disorders and post-traumatic stress.”