Identifying cases in which a marginalised group is disproportionally subject to violations of the right to education – the case of corporal punishment of students with disabilities in US public schools

The ACLU and Human Rights Watch found that students with disabilities made up 18.8% of students who suffered corporal punishment at school during the 2006-2007 school year, although they constituted just 13.7% of the total nationwide student population.

At least 41,972 students with disabilities were subjected to corporal punishment in US schools during that year. These numbers probably undercount the actual rate of physical discipline, since not all instances are reported or recorded.

Source: ACLU & Human Rights Watch (2009) Impairing Education; Corporal Punishment of Students with Disabilities in US Public Schools.