The conference from which these papers were taken was designed to present a balanced cross-section of opinion on the controversial subject of corporal punishment in the school. The papers contained in this volume include a review of the research on the effects of punishment, an analysis of state legislation regulating corporal punishment in the schools, as well as papers for and against the use of corporal punishment. Special attention is given to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the Ingraham v. Wright case, in which the Court ruled that corporal punishment does not violate student's Eighth Amendment rights (fredeom from cruel and unusual punishment) nor require due process before it is applied to students. The volume concludes with an open forum dialogue among representatives of the American Federation of Teachers, the American Psychological Association, and the National Parent Teacher Association. (DS)