The Disproportionate Use of Corporal Punishment on African American Children in U.S. Schools

Abstract

The United States Supreme Court ruled School Corporal Punishment (SCP) constitutional, legalizing the practice in 19 states. Annually, approximately 163,333 students are subject to this practice, and 57,000 incidents involve African American students. Moreover, the lack of Federal advocacy and public knowledge of this social problem is more likely linked to SCP mainly practiced in southern states. Through the lens of Critical Race Theory, a content analysis of SCP documents from 1996 to 2018 was collected from school districts in seven prevalent SCP states using the following terms: SCP, Black students, and Black population. This policy report examines states’ SCP policies, identifies factors that influenced policies, and discusses the future of SCP. Findings suggest that SCP negatively impacted the academic achievement and future endeavors of African American students. One recommendation for a successful alternative of SCP strategies is the information involvement of relevant stakeholders and Government officials as several policies excluded members in the implementation process.