Health stories in the news
Teachers more likely to spank disabled children
More than 200,000 U.S. schoolchildren are spanked, paddled or subjected to some other form of corporal punishment each year with disabled children receiving a disproportionate share of such punishments, according to a report prepared by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
“At least 41,972 students with disabilities were subjected to corporal punishment in U.S. schools during that year. These numbers probably undercount the actual rate of physical discipline, since not all instances are reported or recorded.” – ACLU
Corporal punishment is legal in 20 states.
“The report found that some students were physically abused for conduct related to their disabilities, including students with Tourette syndrome being punished for exhibiting involuntary tics and students with autism being punished for repetitive behaviors such as rocking. In some cases, corporal punishment against students with disabilities led to a worsening of their conditions. For instance, some parents reported that students with autism became violent toward themselves or others following corporal punishment.” – ACLU.
To learn more:
- Read the New York Times article Disabled Students Spanked More.
- Read the full report, which can be downloaded from the ACLU Website.
Sorting out fact from fiction
As the healthcare debate heats up, it’s getting harder to sort out fact from fiction. The Seattle Times today fact checks some of the claims and counter claims.
To learn more:
- Read the Seattle Times’ article: Fact check: A look at claims about health-care overhaul.
Dead by Mistake
The SeattlePI.com news team was part of an investigative team of seven Hearst newspapers as well as Hearst Television staff that has found that little progress has been in reducing medical errors in U.S. hospitals, errors that are thought to take 200,000 lives a year.
AlthoughWashington state requires hospitals to report preventable medical errors, for example, the requirement is not being enforced and the state has failed to provide funds to analyze the reports that do come in, the investigation found.
To learn more:
- Go to SeattlePI.com and read Dead by Mistake.
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