Human Rights Watch , ACLU say spanking `` discourages learning '' Corporal punishment is used frequently in schools in 13 states ; it 's legal in 21 . The American Academy of Pediatrics says corporal punishment can be harmful to children and has been linked with lower academic performance among students who are punished for misbehavior or disobedience. Missouri , Kentucky , Texas , Oklahoma , Arkansas , Louisiana , Mississippi , Alabama , Georgia , South Carolina , North Carolina , Tennessee and Florida , according to data received from the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education and cited in the report . Evangelical leader 's group says spanking `` can be useful '' in elementary schools .
Human Rights Watch , ACLU say spanking `` discourages learning '' Corporal punishment is used frequently in schools in 13 states ; it 's legal in 21 . The American Academy of Pediatrics says corporal punishment can be harmful to children and has been linked with lower academic performance among students who are punished for misbehavior or disobedience. Evangelical leader 's group says spanking `` can be useful '' in elementary schools .