HOUSTON — As kids head back to school nationwide, a group is calling for corporal punishment to be banned.
The American Academy of Pediatrics released an updated policy statement on Monday by the National Health Council.
It urges that spanking or striking students in schools should be "abolished in all states by law." Texas is one of many states that allow corporal punishment in public schools, and the AAP said nearly 70,000 students are hit at least once a year.
The statement also said corporal punishment is mostly used in southern states and that it is disproportionately used on Black students and children with disabilities.
The AAP said recent scientific evidence shows nonviolent and age-appropriate strategies should be used instead.
Texas lawmakers voted against a bill in April that would prohibit public school employees from using corporal punishment on students.
House Bill 772 received a 58-86 vote in the lower chamber. Rep. Alma Allen, a Houston Democrat and former public school educator, has carried a bill to eliminate the controversial practice in each biennial session for the past 18 years.
Before the vote, Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, and Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, said schools should be able to continue using corporal punishment, which includes hitting, spanking, paddling, or deliberately inflicting physical pain on a student’s body to discipline them.
While it's unclear how many Texas school districts use corporal punishment, a report from the 2017-18 school year said more than 1,000 school districts used the practice to discipline nearly 13,000 students.