 Of the 10 states with the highest prison population, 9 allow corporal punishment;  Of the 10 states with the lowest prison population, 0 allow corporal punishment;  Of the 10 worst states in which to raise children (as measured by the condition of children index), all 10 allow corporal punishment;  Of the 10 best states in which to raise children, 0 allow corporal punishment;  Of the states with the ten worst high school completion rates, 7 allow corporal punishment;  Of the 10 states with the best high school completion rates, 1 allows corporal punishment;  Of the 10 most impoverished states, 7 allow corporal punishment;  Of the 10 least impoverished states, 2 allow corporal punishment;  Of the 10 states with the worst health rankings, 8 allow corporal punishment;  Of the 10 states with the best health rankings, 1 allows corporal punishment. Crime is a complex matter and the causes of these correlations cannot be attributed solely to the presence or prohibition of corporal punishment but that it significantly increases the risks of negative societal outcomes. Therefore by allowing corporal punishment in schools it creates the same negative impact as family violence and allowing corporal punishment in schools, will mean increased violence also creeping into homes. The two issues cannot be dealt with in isolation due to this inherent linkage. Further, corporal punishment must also be viewed in the context of the Fa’asamoa and human rights. In doing so it becomes evident that it is a gross violation of both. Nowhere in the Fa’asamoa does it advocate teaching children through physical assault or harsh words and language. The opposite is true and children are supposed to be guided with words, wisdom and alofa. Similarly, the human rights framework provides that children should be free from all inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and should be afforded equal protection by the law. Samoa’s own MoP has recognized that to allow corporal punishment would be a violation of this right, given it constitutes assault of the child. The spirit of reciprocity and mutuality embodied in the Fa’asamoa is intended to make the learning a twoway process. Teachers enjoy respect from students and it should be granted to them in return. Respect and non-violence leads to the same. It should therefore come as little surprise when society is teaching children to be violent from an early age through the actions of parents, teachers, matai, faifeau and others that violence is rife between school children. This is especially true when considered in the context of the lack of communication between children and parents and other elders that has developed. The frustrations and anger this fosters in young people can only find an outlet towards one another. There is no clearer example of this than the case described above which initially caused MESC to consider reintroducing corporal punishment in schools. Initially it was just the assault of the teacher by the student