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Corporal Punishment in Arkansas Public Schools: A Mixed Methods Analysis
Esaa Mohammad Sabti Samarah1, Ellen M Chiocca2, Lisa Schelbe3
1School of Social Work, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR, USA.
Child Maltreatment
|July 29, 2026
Summary
Corporal punishment (CP) remains legal in most Arkansas schools, with 72.2% of districts permitting it. Policies normalize physical discipline, yet exclusionary discipline rates are similar between districts that permit or prohibit CP.
Area of Science:
- Educational Policy
- Child Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Corporal punishment (CP) in schools is a contentious issue with documented negative impacts on child development and well-being.
- Despite evidence of harm, CP persists in many educational settings, necessitating a closer examination of its implementation and justification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the authorization, implementation, and justification of corporal punishment (CP) in Arkansas public school districts.
- To determine if districts permitting CP exhibit different rates of exclusionary discipline compared to those prohibiting it.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods approach combining policy document review and administrative data analysis from 237 Arkansas public school districts (2022-2023).
- Systematic review of district policies to identify CP authorization and policy features.
- Analysis of administrative data to quantify CP prevalence and compare exclusionary discipline rates.
- Qualitative content analysis of policy language to understand justifications for CP.
Main Results:
- Corporal punishment was permitted in 171 (72.2%) Arkansas public school districts.
- A total of 5,308 incidents of CP were reported in Arkansas public schools during the 2022-2023 academic year.
- No significant differences in detention, suspension, or expulsion rates were found between districts permitting and prohibiting CP.
- Five themes emerged from qualitative analysis, explaining how district policies justify and institutionalize CP.
Conclusions:
- District policies in Arkansas maintain corporal punishment (CP) by normalizing physical discipline and offering minimal procedural safeguards for students.
- Findings reveal a disconnect between school district policies, research on child maltreatment, and state goals for safe educational environments.
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