The Answer Sheet: paddling in school

There is a video making the Internet rounds, shot by a student, of someone identified as a teacher beating up a student. It’s ugly. But let's not forget that in 20 states, adults are allowed to whack kids for disciplinary reasons, and more than 200,000 kids a year are subject to corporal punishment. Congress may take up a bill soon to outlaw the practice.

In the 20 states that still allow kids to be paddled, school districts generally have their own rules for administering corporal punishment, or, in layman’s terms, whacking a kid. Some limit the number of hits, others specify where the kid can be hit (usually on the buttocks but sometimes other places). Here are some of the actual policies.