One problem that emerged from Stephens' report is that how it's done and what it's done for vary greatly from school to school. Boys are paddled more often than girls, blacks more than whites. But even if the rules and methods were consistent, paddling would still be a bad idea. There are many better choices to correct behavior than whacking someone with a piece of wood. Time-outs, detention, extra essays, even counseling are preferable ways to handle misbehavior.
Some schools even offer conflict resolution programs.
Parents should be informed of a student's problems and urged to address it in the home before it reaches a level where physical violence by a teacher is employed. Beating people who don't act as we want them to has never worked, although many of us won't accept that historical fact. It doesn't work well in schools, either. Teachers and principals have a tough task maintaining discipline and need many tools to keep classes and individual students in order. But hitting kids isn't the answer.