The focus of this research mainly centers on a quantitative descriptive overview of corporal punishment practices in the state of Mississippi, but this study also includes a legal document analysis component. This study forms the Mississippi portion of a comprehensive analysis of the demographics of corporal punishment in the public schools of the South and follows in the path of dissertation research completed at the University of North Texas on the demographics of corporal punishment in Florida and Texas. The research approach adopted in this analysis of corporal punishment in Mississippi includes the use of online literature, print literature, legal database, and research database sites. The findings from this research identify patterns of corporal punishment practiced in the public schools in the state of Mississippi, the state that has historically reported the highest rates of school-based corporal punishment in the United States. One of the main assumptions surrounding this study is that Mississippi's corporal punishment is a rural and small district phenomenon, most commonly practiced in Mississippi's smaller school towns. The data reveals that some districts administer excessive amounts of corporal punishment, with some districts paddling three times as many as the total state average percent or more of their students on an annual basis. Finally, the study found some Mississippi school districts have actually increased the amount of corporal punishment being administered in recent years, a pattern contrary to the national trend, which has been to reduce the amount of corporal punishment being administered in the public schools. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]