In the United States, 31 states have abolished corporal punishment in schools. However, the documented negative impact of corporal punishment notwithstanding, in-school corporal punishment is still practiced in 19 states. Thirteen of these states are in the South. Why is the use of corporal punishment to discipline children so concentrated in the South? Is it because of culture? In other words, are Americans who live in the traditionalistic Southern region of the United States more likely than Americans living in other political cultural regions of the country to believe that corporal punishment is not only right but also sometimes necessary to discipline children? The purpose of this research study centers on the question, "Are Americans who live in a traditionalistic Southern political culture more likely than other Americans to believe in corporal punishment as a way of disciplining children? "The findings from this research should provide evidence that although studies have shown the effects that corporal punishment have on children, Americans' attitudes and beliefs are strongly intertwined in the continued existence of corporal punishment in the public-school setting. [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://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]