By now you may have heard the news of a school in Missouri reinstating their corporal punishment rules for disciplining children. This makes us think, what other states allow this still and is New York one of them?

But in case you haven't heard the latest news, let's get into why this is such a trending topic online right now...

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Missouri School Reinstates Spanking Discipline

Cassville is a small town with just under 4,000 people total. Parents from the Cassville Central School District were recently sent home a message that spanking (with a paddle) will once again be used as a last resort to discipline students.

Families are given the opportunity to either opt-in or opt-out.

Representatives from the district say people locally have reacted much differently than others on social media. Superintendent Merlyn Johnson says many parents have actually welcomed the idea and support the decision.

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Who Else Supports Corporal Punishment?

It is actually up to each state to decide whether or not corporal punishment should be allowed. This is thanks to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling back in 1977.

There are 19 states, including Missouri, that still allow corporal punishment. These would be Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.

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Cassville hadn't allowed spanking since 2001. They determined it would be the best action to deal with troubling students "when all other alternative means of discipline have failed." It is also only allowed to be done by the principal.

What About New York State?

Believe it or not, corporal punishment is possible for schools in New York. Just not when it comes to public schools. These teachers could actually be charged with assault or child abuse for doing so.

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The line erases when it comes to private schools though. New York does not have legislation that approves or disapproves private schools from using corporal punishment. In most cases, parents will have to consent their child to it when enrolling them in the school.

But as a reminder, even though the parent signs a waiver, it doesn't mean that severe forms of punishment are always allowed.

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