Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child? A Critical Discourse Analysis of State Corporal Punishment Policies and Practices

Corporal punishment (CP), or inflicting pain through spanking, hitting, and paddling, is still legally sanctioned and exercised in U.S. schools. We use critical discourse analysis and draw on state policy documents and data from the Office of Civil Rights to investigate which discourses pervade poli...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Educational evaluation and policy analysis 2024-06, Vol.46 (2), p.249-275
Main Authors: Dhaliwal, Tasminda K., Graham, Jerome, Chiang, Yi-Chih, Johnson, Andrew S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Civil rights
Corporal punishment
Discourse analysis
Education policy
Morality
Punishment
Racial differences
School discipline
Schools
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Summary:Corporal punishment (CP), or inflicting pain through spanking, hitting, and paddling, is still legally sanctioned and exercised in U.S. schools. We use critical discourse analysis and draw on state policy documents and data from the Office of Civil Rights to investigate which discourses pervade policy texts and how CP is practiced. These sources reveal discourses relating to morality, delinquency, and authority that draw on ideas associated with power, punishment, and control. Across all these discourses, we find color-evasive and deficit language to justify CP practices that are disproportionally applied to minoritized students. We conclude with policy implications for CP and school discipline more broadly.
ISSN:0162-3737
1935-1062
DOI:10.3102/01623737231213040