POLISCOPE
Back to feed
NewsWLRN — South Florida NPR (Government & Politics)August 19, 2026Miami-Dade

Federal law lacks ban on corporal punishment in public schools as 15 states continue to permit the practice

There is no federal law prohibiting corporal punishment in public schools, leaving the decision to individual states and local districts. Currently, 15 states allow the practice, while 30 states and Washington, D.C., have explicitly banned it.

educationschool disciplinecorporal punishmentchild welfarecivil rights
Read the full story at WLRN — South Florida NPR (Government & Politics)

Why It Matters

Students in 15 states remain subject to physical discipline in public schools, a practice that varies by local district policy and parental consent requirements.

Key Facts

  • There is no federal law banning corporal punishment in U.S. public schools.
  • 15 states currently allow the use of corporal punishment in schools.
  • 30 states and Washington, D.C., have passed laws explicitly banning corporal punishment in public schools.
  • The U.S. Department of Education's Civil Rights Data Collection reported nearly 32,000 instances of corporal punishment in the 2021-2022 school year.
  • The reported rate of corporal punishment is approximately 1 incident per 2,000 students.
  • Arkansas and Mississippi have some of the highest rates of corporal punishment in the country.
  • Federal data indicates boys are more likely to receive corporal punishment than girls.
  • White, Black, and Native American/Alaska Native boys experience corporal punishment at disproportionately high rates compared to their enrollment levels.
  • A 2021 study found a correlation between a region's history of lynchings and the current use of corporal punishment in schools.

Who's Mentioned

organizationU.S. Department of Education“Source of the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) statistics.”personTessa Davis“Parent who shared her experience with school corporal punishment.”organizationAmerican Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry“Professional organization defining corporal punishment.”personMorgan Craven“Policy expert advocating for the end of corporal punishment.”personJoan Durrant“Child developmental psychologist.”organizationIntercultural Development Research Association“Advocacy group promoting equal educational opportunities.”