Infliction of physical punishment on the body of a student by a school employee for disciplinary reasons.
Physical blows or hurts to the body, defined by Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education (PTAVE) as “hitting, paddling, spanking, grabbing, shaking, forced exercise, and any other means of inflicting pain as punishment.” Once generally—and erroneously—thought almost synonymous with discipline, corporal punishment is now under considerable attack because it can easily escalate into child abuse, especially when it results from an adult’s frustration or mental disturbance.