Kindness to Children Index - US Needs to Improve
Columbus, OH... April 30 2007 --- In observance of SpankOut Day USA April 30th, End Physical Punishment of Children (EPOCH-USA) is releasing its 2007 Kindness to Children Index showing progress being made in giving U.S. children legal protection from corporal punishment. "The overwhelming majority of research studies show corporal punishment to be harmful to children. It sometimes leads to injury and contributes to an anti-social attitude by teaching children that it is permissible to hit younger, weaker persons," says Nadine Block, SpankOut Day chair.
Each state was ranked according to whether it has specifically banned corporal punishment by law in schools, family day care, day care centers and home foster care. States earned ratings of "satisfactory" (no corporal punishment allowed in those settings), "unsatisfactory" (corporal punishment allowed in one of those settings) and "failing" (corporal punishment allowed in two or more settings).
Failing:
Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana and South Carolina have not specifically banned corporal punishment in two or more public settings for children.
Unsatisfactory:
Falling in the "unsatisfactory" group are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming.
The majority of states receiving an "unsatisfactory" rating permit corporal punishment in schools.
"Twenty-one U.S. states still allow the barbaric practice of hitting school children with boards, an alarming number at odds with l09 nations that have banned school corporal punishment," says Nadine Block, SpankOut Day USA Chair. "It is a practice that is used disproportionately on poor children, children with disabilities, boys and minorities. It leads to injuries of students and lawsuits against school districts."
The 10 worst states, by percentage of students struck by educators in the 2002-2003 school year:
Rank State Percentage
1 Mississippi 9.1
2 Arkansas 7.6
3 Alabama 5.2
4 Tennessee 4.3
5 Oklahoma 2.8
6 Louisiana 2.3
7 Georgia 1.7
8 Texas 1.4
9 Missouri 0.8
10 Kentucky 0.5
For more information see this chart.
Each state was ranked according to whether it has specifically banned corporal punishment by law in schools, family day care, day care centers and home foster care. States earned ratings of "satisfactory" (no corporal punishment allowed in those settings), "unsatisfactory" (corporal punishment allowed in one of those settings) and "failing" (corporal punishment allowed in two or more settings).
Failing:
Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana and South Carolina have not specifically banned corporal punishment in two or more public settings for children.
Unsatisfactory:
Falling in the "unsatisfactory" group are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming.
The majority of states receiving an "unsatisfactory" rating permit corporal punishment in schools.
"Twenty-one U.S. states still allow the barbaric practice of hitting school children with boards, an alarming number at odds with l09 nations that have banned school corporal punishment," says Nadine Block, SpankOut Day USA Chair. "It is a practice that is used disproportionately on poor children, children with disabilities, boys and minorities. It leads to injuries of students and lawsuits against school districts."
The 10 worst states, by percentage of students struck by educators in the 2002-2003 school year:
Rank State Percentage
1 Mississippi 9.1
2 Arkansas 7.6
3 Alabama 5.2
4 Tennessee 4.3
5 Oklahoma 2.8
6 Louisiana 2.3
7 Georgia 1.7
8 Texas 1.4
9 Missouri 0.8
10 Kentucky 0.5
For more information see this chart.
posted by panthergirl at 5:23 AM
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