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Does my state allow physical punishment in school?
States and U.S. possessions that DO allow corporal punishment: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wyoming

States and districts that DO NOT allow corporal punishment: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin

The 28 states (plus Washington D.C.) that have banned corporal punishment allow no form of physical punishment in school. Should your child be subjected to this type of abuse, remove him from the class and report the incident to the school superintendent. Then follow the advice below about seeking medical and legal help.

How can I protect my child if my state sanctions physical abuse?
Even if you live in a state that allows physical punishment at school, you can still take steps to protect your child.

• Ask for a written copy of the school district's punishment policy. Even if your state sanctions it, your school district may not tolerate physical punishment. If such a district-wide ban is in effect, then every school must adhere to this policy.

• Next, find out about the school's policy. The principal or the teacher, respectively, may forbid the use of physical punishment in the school or classroom.

• Make your wishes known early. Even if physical punishment is allowed, you can insist that your child not be harmed. Jordan Riak, executive director of Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education (and author of Plain Talk about Spanking), advises parents to speak up at the beginning of the school year before any disciplinary issues have the chance to erupt. "Don't wait until your child is traumatized," he says.

• Put it in writing. Ask a lawyer to draft a letter on legal stationery stating that you are withdrawing your permission for the school to physically punish your child. If you don't have a lawyer, you can write a letter on your own using our template as a guide. Address this letter to your child's teacher, the school principal, the district superintendent, and the state superintendent of education. If you want to add fuel to your letter, Riak recommends telling school administrators that corporal punishment violates your religious beliefs, even if you have other reasons for requesting that it not be used. (Most schools accept and respect this as a reason to not physically punish a child.) When your letter is ready, send it by certified mail to all parties and keep copies for yourself.

What should I do if my child is hurt by an adult at school?
Welcoming your child off the school bus and finding a welt on his arm caused by a teacher can make you feel agitated, angry, and powerless. But try to stay calm. It's best to tend to his emotional needs first. Sit down with him and tell him that you're going to make sure this doesn't happen again. Explain that you'd like him to tell you what happened, and that you're going to write it all down, as if you were writing a story.

If possible, take a photo of the injury. Next, make an appointment with your pediatrician as soon as you can so he can see the extent of the injury. Explain the reason for your visit when you call. Your doctor will document the injury in your child's record, which you can use for legal action should the need arise.

With this documentation in hand, make an appointment with the school superintendent. Use this meeting to discuss the incident, and explain that your child needs to be transferred to a new class. If the superintendent seems unresponsive or unsympathetic, report the incident to the police or other authorities.

Thank all of you for your input. We live in Florida. Gee, guess who would not go to school today? Hardly say I can fuss about that!!

If they spank him this way do they spank the bullies too???

Makes ya' wonder! Somehow the words "I doubt it" are forming in my mind.

I remmber they did sometimes and they bragged about to the other kids in the fashion of "You think that hurt wait till you see what I do to you" kinda discuraged telling on them

Yikes, that is awful. I'm glad I'm outta school. Poor things