Corporal Punishment in 2025
Most parents assume school paddling is something from another era—something you’d only see in an old movie or a story from the 1950s. But here’s the twist: corporal punishment is still legal in a surprising number of U.S. states, and many families probably have no idea. The practice hasn’t vanished as completely as people think, and the numbers are shocking.
Federal Data Snapshot
The most recent nationwide discipline data comes from the Department of Education’s 2023 release summarizing the 2017–18 school year, which recorded 69,492 students being physically punished in public schools. That's over 69,000 more than we would've guessed. How about you?
ajay_suresh, Wikimedia Commons
Alabama
Alabama still permits corporal punishment statewide, and while fewer districts use it today, the law hasn’t changed. It’s one of those states where the practice hasn’t disappeared so much as settled into certain pockets. Advocates say the decline is encouraging—but the legal green light means any district could revive it at any time.
Arkansas
Arkansas lets each district decide whether to use corporal punishment, and some rural areas continue the practice. Many larger districts have abandoned it, but state law leaves the option open. Researchers often cite Arkansas as a place where outdated policies persist simply because no one has formally removed them.
Daniel Schwen, Wikimedia Commons
Arizona
Arizona technically still allows corporal punishment, though you rarely hear of it actually being used. It’s one of those “legal but mostly forgotten” states where the statute lingers quietly in the background. Advocates expect pressure to build for a ban as more Western states modernize their discipline laws.
Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia Commons
Florida
Florida still permits corporal punishment at the state level, even though many districts have phased it out. It’s an odd contrast: highly modern classrooms operating under laws that still allow paddling. A 2023 policy review noted that Florida’s legal language simply hasn’t kept pace with current practice.
Georgia
Georgia continues to allow corporal punishment, and while usage has dropped significantly, it hasn’t vanished. Rural districts are more likely to keep it on the books, creating a clear divide across the state. Advocates say Georgia is slowly shifting away from the practice—but mostly through district policy, not statewide reform.
w:en:User:Autiger, Wikimedia Commons
Indiana
Indiana hasn’t banned corporal punishment, so districts are free to use it if they choose. Several have adopted their own prohibitions, but the state statute remains untouched. Advocacy groups call Indiana an example of “silent permission”—a law still active only because no one has updated it.
Kansas
Kansas never officially outlawed corporal punishment, leaving districts to decide for themselves. Many parents assume the practice disappeared years ago, but legally, it’s still allowed. Policy reviews describe Kansas as a state where the law feels like a leftover—technically active, rarely acknowledged, but still in force.
Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, Wikimedia Commons
Kentucky
Kentucky still allows corporal punishment statewide, even though many districts have moved away from using it. A statewide ban nearly passed in 2023 but ultimately stalled, leaving the practice legally intact. For families who assumed the ban was a done deal, the legal reality is often surprising.
Mobilus In Mobili, Wikimedia Commons
Louisiana
Louisiana maintains some of the strongest legal allowances for corporal punishment, and several parishes continue to use it. Ban proposals surface almost every year but haven’t succeeded. Progress tends to come district by district rather than through statewide legislative change.
Farragutful, Wikimedia Commons
Mississippi
Mississippi has one of the longest and strongest ties to corporal punishment and remains one of the states where it’s used most. A 2023 analysis linked its persistence to cultural tradition rather than evidence-based practice. Some districts have begun reconsidering it, but statewide, the law continues to support the practice.
formulanone from Huntsville, United States, Wikimedia Commons
Missouri
Missouri leaves the decision to local districts, and some still permit paddling. A district’s decision to reinstate corporal punishment in 2022 drew national attention, proving how quickly the practice can return when the law allows it. Advocates say Missouri’s flexibility keeps the door too far open.
RebelAt of English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons
North Carolina
North Carolina technically still allows corporal punishment, but every district in the state has banned it in practice. It’s a rare case where local policy completely overtook state law. Still, because the statute remains, advocates continue pushing for a full statewide ban to prevent any future reversal.
James Willamor, Wikimedia Commons
Oklahoma
Oklahoma permits corporal punishment, and several districts still use it. Until recently, teachers could paddle students with disabilities unless parents opted out—a policy that drew national criticism. Usage is slowly declining, but Oklahoma remains one of the states where corporal punishment hasn’t faded quietly into history.
Oklahoma Legislative Services Bureau, Wikimedia Commons
South Carolina
South Carolina still allows corporal punishment, though its use varies widely by district. The practice has declined but remains legally protected. Advocacy groups classify South Carolina as part of a “southern corridor” where corporal punishment persists even as more schools adopt trauma-informed discipline models.
en:User:Florencebballer, Wikimedia Commons
Tennessee
Tennessee permits corporal punishment unless a district chooses to ban it. Many have, yet a surprising number still allow it under certain conditions. A 2024 review described Tennessee as “declining but persistent,” meaning the practice is fading—but not at the pace child advocates would like.
FaceMePLS from The Hague, The Netherlands, Wikimedia Commons
Texas
Texas remains one of the most prominent corporal-punishment states. Some districts use it regularly, while others have banned it entirely, creating a patchwork of discipline policies. A 2024 analysis noted that in Texas, “district culture matters more than legislation,” since the practice remains protected in state law.
Larry D. Moore, Wikimedia Commons
Wyoming
Wyoming technically allows corporal punishment, though it’s rarely used and seldom discussed. It’s a state where the law exists mostly because no one has revisited it in decades. Still, the permission remains active, which is why Wyoming appears on every modern list.
Why the Laws Haven’t Changed
Even as districts voluntarily move away from corporal punishment, statewide bans often stall. Experts attribute this to tradition, political inertia, and the challenge of overturning long-standing statutes. States like Kentucky and Louisiana have seen multiple ban attempts fail, even as research shows physical discipline harms academic and emotional development.
Recent States That Did Ban It
There is momentum for change. Colorado and Idaho both enacted full bans in 2023, joining states like New Mexico and Virginia that eliminated the practice earlier. Lawmakers increasingly cite trauma-informed education, mental-health research, and shifting public attitudes as reasons to retire corporal punishment entirely.
Knapp.keith, Wikimedia Commons
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