What ever happened to proper discipline in schools?

When I was a kid, if I acted up in school, the principal could paddle me.  And she did several times.  Was I injured by it?  No.  My butt stung and I was embarrassed as heck.  But I wasn't harmed, and I knew not to do what had caused me to get the paddling in the first place, again.  In the story I link to below, a 6 year old student is arrested for kicking a teacher/principal.  If I had done that when I was a kid, I would have gotten a paddling at school, my parents would have been called to come to the school, where they would more than likely paddle my butt right there in the principals office.  And I wouldn't ever do that again.  This time though, the principal called the police.  Not the parents.  The police show up and cuff the child, who is now being charged with a crime.  Seriously?  You are going to charge a child with a crime for basically acting out because he doesn't get enough discipline?  If you would paddle the butt in the first place, you wouldn't need to call for the police.  On to the story:


"When a six-year-old boy kicked his school principal last week, the school called in police, not parents.


The student had already been suspended for kicking and biting another official, when he allegedly threatened a teacher and kicked Principal Pat Lumbley. This time, the child was placed in police custody and charged with battery and intimidation"

How is charging this child with a crime going to help the child learn to be a properly behaved, well adjusted member of society?   The first time junior did something hinky he should have had his read end warmed up, and his parents called.  If he still acted up, another paddling plus the parents and the student need to be sat down with a school counselor.  As I wrote above, Ms. Brown, my principal in elementary school warmed my butt with an oak paddle several times through my school years.  And you know what I never did what I was paddled for again.  I found something else to get a paddling for, but all in all, in 7 years of school there, I was only paddled 5 times.  When I got home however, I got paddled again plus had privileges taken away from me.  I think I turned out rather well.  My kids, when they screw up they do get paddled.  At most 4 swats depending on what they did.  I don't like doing it, however if I don't, the kids will think they got away with inappropriate behavior, and continue that behavior.  To the detriment of themselves and society at large.

And that is what most of the "Do Gooders" don't realize.  In order to have a polite, functioning society, people need discipline.  Both individual self, and external in the force of law and custom.  "Don't harm the childs ego or self esteem"  they say.  I say unless the child knows proper discipline he or she won't know how to live and operate in real society.  They will only know they can continue with ever escalating bad or inappropriate behavior, as the get no discipline or punishment for their behavior, they will continue to do it.

Yes the child need to be disciplined, however calling the police and taking him away to a juvenile facility does nothing but scare him and puts him in a place where he can preyed upon by older juveniles who have had more than just 1 or 2 brushes with the law.  So the school system needs to be removed from this equation, despite what their policies or regulations are.  The first call when this child did that, should have been to the parents.  If the parents couldn't or wouldn't come to the school to deal with their child, then I could see involving the local law enforcement.  For the school to jump straight to calling the police, is a frightening escalation, and it is becoming more and more of an everyday occurrence.

What are your thoughts?  Who should be called first?  The parents?  or the Cops?