THE CONFERENCE, PRESENTED IN FEBRUARY 1977 BY THE CHILD PROTECTION CENTER OF CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL NATIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C., WAS HELD JUST AFTER THE U.S. SUPREME COURT HEARD, FOR THE FIRST TIME, ORAL ARGUMENTS ON CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN THE SCHOOLS. THIS WAS BEFORE THE COURT RULED THAT CORPORAL PUNISHMENT WAS NOT A VIOLATION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROHIBITION AGAINST CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT AND THAT DUE PROCESS PROTECTIONS NEED NOT BE ACCORDED CHILDREN BEFORE CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IS USED. THE CONFERENCE WAS DESIGNED TO PRESENT A CROSS SECTION OF OPINION ON THE SUBJECT. THE PROCEEDINGS REPORT INCLUDES EIGHT PAPERS, WHICH REVIEW HISTORICAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL CONSIDERATIONS; DEBATE PHILOSOPHICAL, MORAL, ETHICAL, AND PRACTICAL ISSUES INHERENT IN THE QUESTION OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT; REPORT ON CORPORAL PUNISHMENT PRACTICE AND EXCESSES IN THE CLASSROOM; SURVEY THE STATUS OF STATE LAWS REGARDING CORPORAL PUNISHMENT; APPRAISE THE EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT ON CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOR AND EMOTIONS; AND SUGGEST A THEORETICAL CONCEPTUALIZATION FOR A CROSS-CULTURAL EXAMINATION OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. AN OPEN FORUM DIALOGUE, WHICH INCLUDED REPRESENTATIVES OF THREE NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS (THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, AND THE NATIONAL PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION) IS ALSO DOCUMENTED. A COMMENT ON THE SUPREME COURT'S DECISION IS INCLUDED. (LKM)