“Impairing Education: Corporal Punishment of Students with Disabilities in US Public Schools”

The 70-page report by the ACLU and Human Rights Watch finds that public school students with disabilities face corporal punishment at disproportionately high rates. According to the report, students with disabilities constituted only 13.7 percent of the total nationwide student population in 2006-2007, yet made up 18.8 percent of students who received corporal punishment.

The report is based on more than 200 interviews with experts and individuals directly affected by corporal punishment, including parents, students, teachers, administrators and special education professionals. It calls for a complete prohibition on the use of corporal punishment against all students in U.S. public schools and offers recommendations to Congress, the Department of Education and local governments for implementing a moratorium on corporal punishment against students with disabilities until a full prohibition is achieved.

Read the report.