John Bellaire's senior thesis, For the Proper Education of the Child? – The Effects of School Corporal Punishment Policies on Student Behavior, directly confronts the widespread belief that physical punishment improves student behavior. Advised by Professor John Papay and second reader Professor Christopher Cleveland, Bellaire's project utilized state-level data and advanced research methods to analyze the impact of corporal punishment policies in Arkansas public schools. The U.S. Department of Education defines corporal punishment as "paddling, spanking, or other forms of physical punishment."

Bellaire initiated this research due to the prevailing perception that corporal punishment is effective, despite its known links to negative behavioral, social, emotional, and economic outcomes for students. "In my thesis, I wanted to interrogate this assumption," he stated, "by examining the effects of corporal punishment policies on student disciplinary and behavioral outcomes."

In-Depth Policy Analysis and Data Insights

Bellaire's interest in this critical topic was sparked in Professor Matthew Kraft's "Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation for Education" course, where he developed the project proposal.

His finished thesis drew from unique school-by-year data provided by the Arkansas Department of Education. Bellaire directly collaborated with the Department to access restricted datasets, allowing him to examine the effects of Act 557. This 2019 law banned corporal punishment for students with specific disabilities.

Using sophisticated causal identification strategies—including difference-in-differences, event study, and triple-difference analysis—Bellaire measured the impact of Act 557 on school-level behavioral and disciplinary outcomes for both students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers.

Disproportionate Impact and Challenging Assumptions

Through descriptive analyses, Bellaire found a stark reality: students with disabilities, male students, low-income students, rural students, Black students, and white students were disproportionately subjected to corporal punishment in Arkansas.

Although the prevalence of corporal punishment in Arkansas had decreased by three-quarters over the last decade, Bellaire noted that half of all Arkansas public school districts used corporal punishment during the 2023–2024 school year.

Crucially, Bellaire's findings directly challenge the perceived effectiveness of corporal punishment. He discovered that Act 557 caused a 20% decrease in the number of reported minor behavioral infractions among students with disabilities in schools that had frequently used corporal punishment before the law’s passage. While the policy targeted students with certain disabilities, his analysis showed that it also led to fewer instances of corporal punishment and minor behavioral infractions among non-disabled students. However, the law did not appear to have an impact on suspension rates.

These findings collectively undermine the notion that corporal punishment improves student behavior, prompting vital questions for educators and policymakers dedicated to fostering safer, more supportive school environments.

Broader Implications for School Discipline

"School corporal punishment remains legal in 17 U.S. states, and students with disabilities, male students, and students of color experience the practice at disproportionate rates," Bellaire emphasized. "Understanding the effects of corporal punishment policies not only has implications for education policymakers and school leaders in these states, but also shapes our understanding of harsh school discipline regimes more broadly."

Bellaire's research findings were prepared to inform school discipline policy, making them available to entities like the Arkansas Department of Education and state legislators.