Class of 2004: paddled twice
A discussion board in Waco, Texas focuses on data published in August 2008, which shows that “223,190 students received corporal punishment during the 2006-2007 school year, and 49,197 of them were in Texas”. Robina of Fort Worth caught up with the thread on 5 February 2009 and posted her experiences:
Where I went to high school (class 2004) in a large suburban district, students were given the choice between detention and a paddling for most minir things like tardies. Most took the paddling and it worked well. I think as long as it is a choice and not manditory, there is no real problem.
I was paddled twice, once in 10th grade and once in 12th, and I think this kept me out of more trouble. I think just hearing a student getting paddled in the hall is a big deterrent to other students.
I remember one girls’ PE coach who was so feared that she only had to use the paddle once a week or so to keep everyone in line. We would listen and think: “Thank God its her and not me getting it!”2
