Illinois is set to become the fifth state in the U.S. to prohibit corporal punishment in all schools starting this school year. Governor JB Pritzker recently signed legislation into law that bans physical punishment in private schools and reinforces the existing prohibition in public schools that was put in place 30 years ago. This move aligns Illinois with New Jersey, Iowa, Maryland, and New York, where paddling, spanking, or hitting in schools is already banned.
The decision to implement the ban was influenced by the American Association of Pediatrics' call to end corporal punishment due to its potential negative effects on children's behavioral, mental health, and cognitive development. Research has shown that the practice is disproportionately administered to Black males and students with disabilities.
