Missouri allows spanking again

No, you haven't randomly stumbled onto one of those (insert adult website here) survey articles about which state has the biggest kink. Because this article isn't about that kind of spanking. (Although, if this article popped up in your search for that content, don't forget to delete your cookies after. You're welcome.)

Missouri ruled the news headlines last week when it came out that after over 20 years of being banned, corporal punishment via spanking had been reinstated as a form of discipline for children. But it may not be what you think it is. Because at first when I heard the headline, I assumed they meant spanking in homes administered by parents to their children.

But when ABC News went on to say that it was talking about the Cassville School District in southwestern Missouri, it all clicked and made sense. Because on the one hand, some believe the discipline (within reason -- there's a difference between discipline and straight-up abuse) that happens inside of a home is the business of the members of that household only.

On the other hand, there's also a large group of people that believe spanking should not be allowed period. Not in the privacy of someone's own home, not in school -- nowhere. Which is understandable because again, there's a fine line between discipline and abuse.

Should Maine bring back corporal punishment?

As mentioned before in the ABC News report, spanking to students administered by school officials will only be an option if a student's parents agree to the action. Even further, district officials say that it will be used as a last resort of discipline if detentions and suspensions fail and the superintendent gives the green light.

And in a day and age where it seems as though multiple people comment that it seems as though children run the household instead of parents/adults and children don't respect their elders and administrators, should other states and school districts follow Missouri's lead? Should Maine school administrators be allowed, even if used as a "last resort" as reported by ABC News, to spank students?

I'll tell you this much -- for what it's worth, if I had children and a school official laid so much as a finger on them in a disciplinary way, well. Said finger may become an endangered species for them.

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