Do some schools still paddle children?

As of 2015, 19 states allow schools to paddle children as punishment. Those states are primarily in the southern, mid-western and western parts of the country. Of the states that allow corporal punishment, it is most common in Texas and least common in Wyoming.

The Children’s Defense Fund analyzed federal data and estimated that in 2014, an average of 838 children were physically punished each school day. African-American students and students with disabilities were most often the targets of paddling. Some states limit the severity of punishment, but others do not. However, many schools in states that permit corporal punishment do not follow that policy.