Pearls of Labor

“School days, school days, good old golden rule days….” The kids are back in school, but how many educators pay heed to this 1907 phrase? Rather, the “…tune of a hick’ry stick” might be educators’ go-to behavior management, as corporal punishment is legal in private schools in every state except Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey and New York. Furthermore, the outdated discipline is legal in public schools in 17 states and practiced in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. Students of color and those with disabilities disproportionately receive corporal punishment.

The Senate introduced the Protecting our Students in Schools Act of 2023, which would prohibit corporal punishment in schools that receive federal funding. Investments are recommended to transform school discipline with restorative justice practices. When students are taught problem-solving skills, benefits ripple into their lives beyond the classroom.

According to the August 2024 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Report (Part IV), students’ health, mental health, and well-being has worsened over the past 10 years —  https://bit.ly/3T3JNv8. An increased percentage of U.S. adolescents report facing school-based violence and/or bullying. Absenteeism due to students’ safety concerns is a related issue. While eliminating school corporal punishment is not a total solution, adults model coping strategies for students. Hitting children is not a coping strategy. Hands are for helping, not hurting.

While pandemic levels were higher, current student mental health statistics suggest that schools might re-consider their methods:

  • 40% of students overall are experiencing persistent feelings of sadness/hopelessness with a higher percentage among female students (53%), some of whom have considered suicide;
  • 42% of Hispanic students feel persistently sad or hopeless, 26% experience poor mental health, 18% have considered suicide, and 16% have made suicide plans;
  • 10% of Black students have attempted suicide.

The 2023 statistics for female students and LGBTQ+ students are staggering:

  • Nearly 2 in 10 female students experienced sexual violence (1 in 10 being physically forced to have sex);
  • More than 3 in 5 LGBTQ+ students experienced persistent feelings of sadness/hopelessness;
  • Nearly 3 in 10 LGBTQ+ students were bullied at school;
  • 1 in 5 LGBTQ+ students attempted suicide during the past year.

As a former school psychologist, these statistics are disturbing. I worked in a progressive school system in Massachusetts where prevention was a main driver of my work. We administered kindergarten screening to each 5-year-old to provide appropriate help from day one. In second grade, each student was administered an individual IQ test. Later I worked in a progressive Illinois high school within a self-contained special education program with students who were in danger of becoming dropouts. Our labor-of-love Problem Solving Conferences were created to nurture and teach students how to dialogue about issues with teachers, classmates, and family members. While we did not call it modeling the golden rule, that is what we were doing.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz 

321. How many youth do you know who may be in need of problem-solving training?

322. What opportunities do you have for mentoring youth?    

Janis Johnston's avatar

By Janis Johnston

Janis Clark Johnston, Ed.D., has a doctorate in counseling psychology from Boston University. She has worked with children, families, and groups (ages 3-83) with presenting issues of anxiety, depression, trauma, loss, and relationship concerns. She initially worked as a school psychologist in public schools and was awarded School Psychology Practitioner of the Year for Region 1 in Illinois for her innovative work. She was a supervising psychologist at a mental health center, an employee-assistance therapist and a trainer for agencies prior to having a family therapy private practice. Recipient of the 2011 Founder’s Award for her dedication to the parenting education of Parenthesis Family Center (now called New Moms), and the 2002 Community Spirit Award from Sarah’s Inn, a domestic violence shelter and education center, Johnston is an active participant in numerous volunteer activities supporting children and families in her community. A frequent presenter at national psychology and educational conferences, Johnston has published journal articles, book chapters, and two books -- It Takes a Child to Raise a Parent: Stories of Evolving Child and Parent Development (2013, hardback; 2019, paperback) and Midlife Maze: A Map to Recovery and Rediscovery after Loss (2017, hardback; 2019, paperback). In addition to augmenting and supporting personal growth in families, Johnston is a Master Gardener and loves nurturing growth in the plants in her yard.