Presentation Type
Event
Description
Corporal punishment (CP) in U.S. public schools, defined as "the use of physical force with the intention of causing a child to experience pain so as to correct their misbehavior" (Gershoff & Font, 2016), remains legal in 17 states despite mounting evidence of its ineffectiveness and disproportionate harm to marginalized students. This study presents survey data from 94 Arkansas public school educators, examining their knowledge of legality, personal and indirect experiences with CP, perceptions of its effectiveness, and attitudes toward its continued use. Analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics, with reverse coding applied to the negative-impact Likert items so that higher scores consistently reflect greater perceived negative consequences or opposition to CP. Descriptively, personal willingness to administer CP was low (15.3% agreement or strong agreement), while comfort with administrative use remained polarized (44.7% agreement or strong agreement). Support for a statewide ban increased from 40.2% to 51.2% after exposure to three brief factual statements. Regression analyses identified statistically significant grade-level and racial patterns: high school teachers were significantly more likely than middle school colleagues to perceive that corporal punishment creates unsafe classrooms and damages teacher–student relationships, and more likely than both middle and elementary colleagues to perceive detrimental behavioral effects; Black educators were significantly more likely than White educators to report personal willingness to use CP (OR = 2.59, 95% CI [1.01–6.42], p = .047). From a social work perspective, these findings illuminate the developmental, cultural, and equity dimensions of CP and underscore opportunities for trauma-informed, anti-oppressive practice in schools. The results highlight actionable pathways for social workers to lead advocacy, training, and policy reform aimed at abolishing corporal punishment and fostering safer, more equitable learning environments.
Recommended Citation
Hill, Phillip and Samarrah, Esaa, "Arkansas Educators' Views on Corporal Punishment: Demographic Influences and Social Work Implications" (2026). Research and Creative Works Expo. 8.
https://research.ualr.edu/expo/2026/presentations/8
Included in
Arkansas Educators' Views on Corporal Punishment: Demographic Influences and Social Work Implications
Corporal punishment (CP) in U.S. public schools, defined as "the use of physical force with the intention of causing a child to experience pain so as to correct their misbehavior" (Gershoff & Font, 2016), remains legal in 17 states despite mounting evidence of its ineffectiveness and disproportionate harm to marginalized students. This study presents survey data from 94 Arkansas public school educators, examining their knowledge of legality, personal and indirect experiences with CP, perceptions of its effectiveness, and attitudes toward its continued use. Analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics, with reverse coding applied to the negative-impact Likert items so that higher scores consistently reflect greater perceived negative consequences or opposition to CP. Descriptively, personal willingness to administer CP was low (15.3% agreement or strong agreement), while comfort with administrative use remained polarized (44.7% agreement or strong agreement). Support for a statewide ban increased from 40.2% to 51.2% after exposure to three brief factual statements. Regression analyses identified statistically significant grade-level and racial patterns: high school teachers were significantly more likely than middle school colleagues to perceive that corporal punishment creates unsafe classrooms and damages teacher–student relationships, and more likely than both middle and elementary colleagues to perceive detrimental behavioral effects; Black educators were significantly more likely than White educators to report personal willingness to use CP (OR = 2.59, 95% CI [1.01–6.42], p = .047). From a social work perspective, these findings illuminate the developmental, cultural, and equity dimensions of CP and underscore opportunities for trauma-informed, anti-oppressive practice in schools. The results highlight actionable pathways for social workers to lead advocacy, training, and policy reform aimed at abolishing corporal punishment and fostering safer, more equitable learning environments.
