Corporal Punishment Has No Place In School (Arizona)
30 states have banned school corporal punishment and it's time for Arizona to join the movement by passing SB 1594.
The consensus is clear in Arizona - just 4 schools out of 2,000 reported use of corporal punishment in the latest national data (Harvest Preparatory Academy, The Paideia Academy of South Phoenix, Paideia Liberal Arts Academy, and Capps Elementary School): 72 kids were reported as physically punished for the 2021-2022 school year.
Any child struck is one too many. Corporal punishment is downright cruel. Not only can children experience significant physical injury, corporal punishment does not improve (and may worsen) behavioral challenges and may exacerbate the child’s underlying issues. The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Academy of Pediatrics have recommended schools stop using corporal punishment due to the physical and psychological harm it causes to young people.
Arizona laws should reflect the consensus of the people - SB 1594 makes it so.