Upon moving from one state to another, I brought this topic up in a conversation with an elementary school staff member. Referring to the practice of child abuse in schools, a common occurrence in the state I had just left, the woman was appalled and gasped WE certainly don't treat OUR students in such a BARBARIC manner!!
'Barbaric'- look it up; it's accurate. Yet, at last count, there are still 19 states in this country that allow school staff members to inflict physical pain and psychological distress on students.
Unfortunately, there are those who believe this is acceptable. Perhaps at least some people will reconsider their opinion when presented with a couple of relevant points.
First, in some of these jurisdictions, parents have no rights. Schools may be required to obtain parental consent to take a student on a field trip, but they can commit a physical and psychological assault on your student without your consent, without your knowledge, and you have no legal recourse afterward.
Second, individuals who uphold this practice as acceptable often state it is an acceptable course of action because students are 'out of control, bratty monsters' who cannot effectively be dealt with in a humane manner. From the first case I read about many years ago, to the most recent and many in between, students were not engaging in out of control behavior- it was nothing more than staff 'throwing their weight around.' And while it is never ok to treat students in a barbaric manner, parents and others who care about kids need to know the types of situations in which child abuse in schools occurs.
It first came to my attention when one incident was covered in a nationwide insert in a Sunday newspaper. Decades ago, a couple sued their school district- and lost. The incident the school staff felt warranted a physical and psychological assault on the couple's six-year-old, first-grade child: as her teacher explained it, on a reading quiz, she circled an answer that she should have underlined. The teacher attempted to justify her actions by stating children need to learn to not make silly mistakes.
The most recent incident, in a different state, involved a kindergartner- he was late for school. And furthering the issue that parents have no rights, the parent was forced to watch the assault on her child, and could do nothing about it.
Other incidents of barbaric treatment of students are equally appalling. They include, but are far from limited, to examples such as two kindergartners who 'were snickering;' and a teenage girl who was late for class because, after being involved in a car accident on the way to school, she obeyed the law instead of leaving the scene of an accident.
When it comes to throwing their weight around, there are virtually no limits to what some schools and states consider 'offenses' that allow staff to abuse students. As only one example: addressing a staff member as Mr./Mrs./Ms. LastName instead of saying 'Sir' or 'Ma'am.'
It's not too surprising states where this is a commonplace occurrence also have the highest rates of incarceration, and the highest rates of executions. Violence breeds violence- you reap what you sow.
It is past time we took this power away from individual schools, districts, and states. It is time parents and others who care about kids make it perfectly clear that this is not acceptable. When parents send their students- of any age- off to school for the day, they should be able to expect their student will be safe, and they should be able to expect that their rights as parents will not be violated.
'Barbaric'- look it up; it's accurate. Yet, at last count, there are still 19 states in this country that allow school staff members to inflict physical pain and psychological distress on students.
Unfortunately, there are those who believe this is acceptable. Perhaps at least some people will reconsider their opinion when presented with a couple of relevant points.
First, in some of these jurisdictions, parents have no rights. Schools may be required to obtain parental consent to take a student on a field trip, but they can commit a physical and psychological assault on your student without your consent, without your knowledge, and you have no legal recourse afterward.
Second, individuals who uphold this practice as acceptable often state it is an acceptable course of action because students are 'out of control, bratty monsters' who cannot effectively be dealt with in a humane manner. From the first case I read about many years ago, to the most recent and many in between, students were not engaging in out of control behavior- it was nothing more than staff 'throwing their weight around.' And while it is never ok to treat students in a barbaric manner, parents and others who care about kids need to know the types of situations in which child abuse in schools occurs.
It first came to my attention when one incident was covered in a nationwide insert in a Sunday newspaper. Decades ago, a couple sued their school district- and lost. The incident the school staff felt warranted a physical and psychological assault on the couple's six-year-old, first-grade child: as her teacher explained it, on a reading quiz, she circled an answer that she should have underlined. The teacher attempted to justify her actions by stating children need to learn to not make silly mistakes.
The most recent incident, in a different state, involved a kindergartner- he was late for school. And furthering the issue that parents have no rights, the parent was forced to watch the assault on her child, and could do nothing about it.
Other incidents of barbaric treatment of students are equally appalling. They include, but are far from limited, to examples such as two kindergartners who 'were snickering;' and a teenage girl who was late for class because, after being involved in a car accident on the way to school, she obeyed the law instead of leaving the scene of an accident.
When it comes to throwing their weight around, there are virtually no limits to what some schools and states consider 'offenses' that allow staff to abuse students. As only one example: addressing a staff member as Mr./Mrs./Ms. LastName instead of saying 'Sir' or 'Ma'am.'
It's not too surprising states where this is a commonplace occurrence also have the highest rates of incarceration, and the highest rates of executions. Violence breeds violence- you reap what you sow.
It is past time we took this power away from individual schools, districts, and states. It is time parents and others who care about kids make it perfectly clear that this is not acceptable. When parents send their students- of any age- off to school for the day, they should be able to expect their student will be safe, and they should be able to expect that their rights as parents will not be violated.