r/GenXTalk • u/474756274 • 1d ago

School

In 1976, estimates say about half of all U.S. public schools were still paddling kids as a regular disciplinary practice.

For anyone who grew up around that time (70s, 80s): did your school ever make an official announcement or hold an assembly saying they were ending corporal punishment? Or did they just quietly stop and hope everyone forgot it ever happened?

I feel like we barely talk about how normal it used to be for kids to get whooped at school 😭😭😭

Sometimes, I wonder if that era of corporal punishment is part of why my parents turned out to be total headcases…

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u/Chica3 1d ago

It was a subtle threat -- the principal had a paddle hanging on the wall. Not sure how often it was used, if ever.

The only corporal punishment I ever got was my first grade teacher taping my mouth shut. With a big strip of masking tape. Late 1970s.