We invited elected officials, public service agency heads, professional organizations and child advocacy groups to reply 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?
Over two hundred elected representatives and leaders of every entity in Arkansas that has anything to do with children and their welfare recieved, by U.S. Mail, individually addressed letters, along with stamped and addressed envelopes for easy, no cost return. Their responses indicate so very clearly the enthusiasm for consideration and discussion of this topic of major importance to the safety and welfare of over 400,000 children in Arkansas.
To examine the letter and read all the responses, click here
Corporal Punishment in Arkansas Public Schools,
2010-2011
(Referencing the Arkansas Department of Education's Statewide Information System Reports, 2010-2011)
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| Educators
in Arkansas used corporal punishment 31,847 times in 2010-2011. |
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...the use
of corporal punishment in schools is intrinsically related to child maltreatment.
It contributes to a climate of violence, it implies that society approves
of the physical violation of children, it establishes an unhealthy norm..." U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect. 9/15/91
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The use of corporal punishment in Arkansas schools in 2010-2011 was 1,746 paddlings lower than in 2009-2010; 8,016 lower than 2008-2009.
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49 school districts out of 261 reported no pupils hit with a board by the teachers at their schools.
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For the past ten consecutive years, 7 school districts have reported no corporal punishment; for the past five consecutive years, 16 have reported no cp; for the past four consecutive years, 21 have reported no cp; for the past three consecutive years, 32 have reported no cp; for the past two consecutive years, 37 districts have reported no paddling. (click here)
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489 schools out of 1083 (some of them in districts that permit corporal punishment) reported no paddling.
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School Districts Reporting No Paddling: 1997/98 to 2010/11 |
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Searcy High School; How Discipline Infractions relate to Paddling; a Comparison with Little Rock Central High School Discipline Infractions: 2001/02 to 2005/06 |
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Acknowledgements:
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James
Boardman, Assistant Director for Information and Technology,
Arkansas Department of Education, coordinated the State Information System
(SIS) queries that generated the raw data reports analized by NeverHitAChild.ORG.
His "section" is responsible for providing accurate, timely information
and appropriate, viable technology in support of the functions of the ADE.
One of his primary responsibilities is to analyze data and produce informational
reports for policy makers, educators, business and industry leaders, and
the general public ( email: jim.boardman@arkansas.gov
or phone: 501-371-5010. The Arkansas Department of Education Data Center's Statewide Information System Reports web site is at: https://adedata.arkansas.gov/statewide).
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Robert
Fathman, Ph.D., President, National Coalition to Abolish Corporal Punishment
in Schools, provided encouragment and editorial assistance.
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Jordan
Riak, Executive Director, Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education,
helped relate the significance of the statistics to the multidimensional
risks for children and the liability risks for school districts ( click
here
).
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The
National Coalition to Abolish Corporal Punishment in Schools provides school
corporal punishment statistical data at their web site. ( click
here
).
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The
data we have secured from the Arkansas Department of Education is contained
in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets converted from data base queries of tables
built from individually submitted public school reports. If you are
interested in specific types of data, statistical analyses, etc., just
write us and we will attach the file(s) to an email reply to you.
Please also write to us if there is any other assistance we might provide.
Address your messages to: ,
describe your interest and be sure to make "NHAC.ORG" the
subject.
 Return to The No Spanking Page
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