Corporal Punishment in School

On November 14, 2005, in Korea, a high school teacher hit tardy students 100 to 200 times, sending one of them to the hospital, because a male student was five minutes late to school. This soon came to be known all over the Internet. Then the teacher’s behavior was criticized by many people and corporal punishment became a very hot debate. Corporal punishment is nowadays a controversial issue. Since we have started the schooling system, every parent and teacher is struggling to teach children in a better way. Although some people believe that corporal punishment is necessary to control the rowdy students, I believe that it is not appropriate for the students even though that is part of the educational system.
First of all, corporal punishment in school makes some students feel aggressive toward parents, teachers, and fellow students. In general, children regard corporal punishment as a form of teacher aggression that makes them feel helpless. Therefore, students may get frustrated if corporal punishment is used frequently. Furthermore, it increases disruptive behavior that can become more aggressive. This leads to school violence and bullying of fellow students.
Secondly, corporal punishment causes inflicted student mental problems. Teachers often resort to various forms of physical punishment when a student exhibits one or more of the above activities because corporal punishment is thought to have the following effect: It is the simplest and easiest method to control difficult students. However, corporal punishment can result in a mental problem. For example, when I was a girl, I was in a class in which the teacher got angry at a boy who kept talking after she told him to be quiet. The teacher then hit the boy in front of all of us. My classmates and I were shocked. Even after fifteen years, I still remember that. Students lose interest in serious learning because it creates a deep seed of animosity in the relationship humiliating for the person. It may become a serious nightmare later with the students who have suffered corporal punishment even once in their life. The victims of severe cases of corporal punishment are left with permanent emotional scars.
Finally, corporal punishment is a type of violence. The use of corporal punishment only sends the wrong message to the students, telling that violence can be justified in the classroom and in society in general. It results in antisocial behavior later in life because it teaches children that adult’s codone violence as a solution to problems. Children who are spanked learn that it is acceptable for a stronger person to use violence against a weaker person. One must bear in mind that violence begets violence itself. Recent studies show that those who are violence to their family members have some traumatic experience about harsh physical punishment from their own parents. These people have a tendency to use hitting and shouting as a way to solve problems.
Some who support corporal punishment say it is necessary to keep discipline inside school. To achieve this goal, reasonable punishment is necessary because those young children are never always good children. However, corporal punishment has only a temporary effect, and violence cannot be justified under any circumstances.
In the conclusion, corporal punishment must be prohibited. Corporal punishment in Korea has been so normal in school that every student does not complain or resist it. However, teachers should not use corporal punishment because it is ineffective in disciplining students and may have long-term negative effects on students. Moreover, teachers should not forget that love and understanding must be part of any kind discipline. Teachers should use effective and more humane alternatives. I hope corporal punishment will disappear forever from our school.