schools. It is still advocated in some contexts by religious leaders such as James Dobson, but his views "diverge sharply from those recommended by contemporary mainstream experts" and are not based on empirical testing, but rather are a reflection of his faith-based beliefs. According to studies, taboo physical punishments like spanking or procedures used in Asia in the classroom such as standing, do not make students or children more aggressive. Consistency seems to play a greater role on whether outcomes could be negative. Corporal punishment is now banned in most schools in the United States, and in most developed countries. Although its effectiveness was never proven, the punishment was very disproportionately met. African American males were the most punished group. In a study conducted in 2006, 17.1 percent of students who experienced corporal punishment were African Americans, and 78.3 percent of total students were males. Good teacher-student relationships Some characteristics of having good teacher-student relationships in the classroom involves the appropriate levels of dominance, cooperation, professionalism, and awareness of high-needs students. Dominance is defined as the teacher's ability to give clear purpose and guidance concerning student behavior and their academics. By creating clear expectations and consequences for student behavior, this builds effective relationships. Such expectations may cover classroom etiquette and behavior, group work, seating arrangements, the use of equipment and materials, and also classroom disruptions. These expectations should always be enforced with consistency among all students within the class. Inconsistency is viewed by students as unfair and will result in the students having less respect for the teacher. Assertive teacher behavior also reassures those thoughts and messages are being passed on to the student in an effective way. Assertive behavior can be achieved by using erect posture, appropriate tone of voice depending on the current situation, and taking care not to ignore inappropriate behavior by taking action. Another great strategy to build a good teacher- student relationship is using inclusive pronouns. For example, if a class is misbehaving and are getting off track, instead of saying "you need to get back to work" a teacher may say "we've got a lot of work to do today, so let's get back to it." Another technique to establishing good teacher-student relationships is William Purkey's "three pluses and a wish." These pluses are complimenting that the teacher gives to the student before making a request. The pluses help the student get into a