5 ms·

Hitting children is legal in the US?

by dom0 10y ago

codingdave 10y ago
No. Child abuse is taken seriously in the US, and hitting children in schools with get people fired, if not prosecuted. I'm sure it does still happen, but that does not mean it is widely accepted.
- icebraining 10y ago
  "According to the Department of Education, over 166,000 students in public schools were physically punished during the 2011–2012 school year." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_corporal_punishment_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_corporal_punishment_in_...
  - codingdave 10y ago
    While that is a large number, it is less than a half of a percent of the entire student body of the USA. As I said, it happens. But isn't the norm. Also, If you are going to cherry pick quotes, try the last 3 paragraphs of the Overview section, which talk about how it is not widely accepted, and the efforts to outlaw it. Or, just this one: "Most urban public school systems, even in states where it is permitted, have abolished corporal punishment. "
    - icebraining 10y ago
      I'm not cherry-picking, I'm highlighting, but leaving the link so that people can judge for themselves. I mostly made the reply because your post implied that it was something that a few rogue teachers did (as it inevitably happens in any country), especially to people not used to a decentralized schooling system.
    - mcv 10y ago
      It's an enormous number. Less than a half percent is still nearly one in 200. That means it either happens in most schools, or it happens a lot in some schools. Just once would be an outrage in most western countries. The fact that there's no outrage about this in the US, shows that it's accepted. Maybe not everywhere, but in enough places to reach this big number. The fact that it's permitted at all shows that it's accepted. And that's just the school. If it's this accepted to do it at school, how common is it really at home? But I suppose it fits the general American love for harsh punishment. I think it's also the only western country that still has the death sentence, and it has more people in prison than any other country in the world.
- sidlls 10y ago
  Regarding schools that's on a state by state and district by district basis. It is very legal for a principal or other officers of a school to use corporal punishment if the state and local laws permit it.
- jessaustin 10y ago
  This definitely depends on where you live. I don't know if it's still called "swats" like it was when I got hit (with a long wooden paddle!) in school, but any poll taken around here would find a majority in favor of corporal punishment in educational settings.
- dom0 10y ago
  Since you are only talking about schools (also in the replies) I take it that it is legal at home, yes?
  - codingdave 10y ago
    Abuse is not legal. Physical discipline is legal. Drawing the line between the two is up to the court system.
    - johanneskanybal 10y ago
      And pretending there's a difference is ignorance.
      - cpburns2009 10y ago
        Pretending there isn't a difference is ignorance.
    - mcv 10y ago
      According to other commenters, even belts and paddles are apparently legal. That is well beyond "normal" spanking and deeply into abuse. But in many countries, even "normal" spanking is considered abuse, exactly because it's so easy for parents to cross that line in anger.
sidlls 10y ago
In some sense, yes. The line between "punitive corporal punishment" and "assault" is blurred in deference to parents' judgment. So it's legal for a parent to spank their child with their hand or even a weapon such as a belt. It stops being legal once "lasting" physical injury (e.g. welts, bruises, broken skin) occurs. We have a very barbaric "society" here in many respects.
ecopoesis 10y ago
It depends on the state. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0934191.html http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0934191.html
DanBC 10y ago
Yes. There isn't a single US state where corporal punishment by parents is illegal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporal_punishment_in_the_home#United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporal_punishment_in_the_hom... > Corporal punishment of children by parents or other legal guardians is legal in the United States and social acceptance is generally high, through allowances made for "moderate physical discipline" (using this or similar language) in most states' laws regarding assault, criminal battery, domestic violence and/or child abuse. Whether an instance of corporal punishment exceeds these bounds is usually decided on a case-by-case basis in family court proceedings.
- codingdave 10y ago
  Delaware. http://statelaws.findlaw.com/delaware-law/delaware-corporal-punishment-in-public-schools-laws.html http://statelaws.findlaw.com/delaware-law/delaware-corporal-...
  - DanBC 10y ago
    Thank you! It's too late to edit my comment.

Hitting children is legal in the US?

by dom0 10y ago

Hitting children is legal in the US?

No. Child abuse is taken seriously in the US, and hitting children in schools with get people fired, if not prosecuted. I'm sure it does still happen, but that does not mean it is widely accepted.

icebraining 10y ago
"According to the Department of Education, over 166,000 students in public schools were physically punished during the 2011–2012 school year." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_corporal_punishment_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_corporal_punishment_in_...
- codingdave 10y ago
  While that is a large number, it is less than a half of a percent of the entire student body of the USA. As I said, it happens. But isn't the norm. Also, If you are going to cherry pick quotes, try the last 3 paragraphs of the Overview section, which talk about how it is not widely accepted, and the efforts to outlaw it. Or, just this one: "Most urban public school systems, even in states where it is permitted, have abolished corporal punishment. "
  - icebraining 10y ago
    I'm not cherry-picking, I'm highlighting, but leaving the link so that people can judge for themselves. I mostly made the reply because your post implied that it was something that a few rogue teachers did (as it inevitably happens in any country), especially to people not used to a decentralized schooling system.
  - mcv 10y ago
    It's an enormous number. Less than a half percent is still nearly one in 200. That means it either happens in most schools, or it happens a lot in some schools. Just once would be an outrage in most western countries. The fact that there's no outrage about this in the US, shows that it's accepted. Maybe not everywhere, but in enough places to reach this big number. The fact that it's permitted at all shows that it's accepted. And that's just the school. If it's this accepted to do it at school, how common is it really at home? But I suppose it fits the general American love for harsh punishment. I think it's also the only western country that still has the death sentence, and it has more people in prison than any other country in the world.
sidlls 10y ago
Regarding schools that's on a state by state and district by district basis. It is very legal for a principal or other officers of a school to use corporal punishment if the state and local laws permit it.
jessaustin 10y ago
This definitely depends on where you live. I don't know if it's still called "swats" like it was when I got hit (with a long wooden paddle!) in school, but any poll taken around here would find a majority in favor of corporal punishment in educational settings.
dom0 10y ago
Since you are only talking about schools (also in the replies) I take it that it is legal at home, yes?
- codingdave 10y ago
  Abuse is not legal. Physical discipline is legal. Drawing the line between the two is up to the court system.
  - johanneskanybal 10y ago
    And pretending there's a difference is ignorance.
    - cpburns2009 10y ago
      Pretending there isn't a difference is ignorance.
  - mcv 10y ago
    According to other commenters, even belts and paddles are apparently legal. That is well beyond "normal" spanking and deeply into abuse. But in many countries, even "normal" spanking is considered abuse, exactly because it's so easy for parents to cross that line in anger.

sidlls 10y ago

In some sense, yes. The line between "punitive corporal punishment" and "assault" is blurred in deference to parents' judgment. So it's legal for a parent to spank their child with their hand or even a weapon such as a belt. It stops being legal once "lasting" physical injury (e.g. welts, bruises, broken skin) occurs. We have a very barbaric "society" here in many respects.

ecopoesis 10y ago

It depends on the state. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0934191.html http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0934191.html

DanBC 10y ago

Yes. There isn't a single US state where corporal punishment by parents is illegal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporal_punishment_in_the_home#United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporal_punishment_in_the_hom... > Corporal punishment of children by parents or other legal guardians is legal in the United States and social acceptance is generally high, through allowances made for "moderate physical discipline" (using this or similar language) in most states' laws regarding assault, criminal battery, domestic violence and/or child abuse. Whether an instance of corporal punishment exceeds these bounds is usually decided on a case-by-case basis in family court proceedings.

codingdave 10y ago
Delaware. http://statelaws.findlaw.com/delaware-law/delaware-corporal-punishment-in-public-schools-laws.html http://statelaws.findlaw.com/delaware-law/delaware-corporal-...
- DanBC 10y ago
  Thank you! It's too late to edit my comment.