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Why does the military use group punishment?

Author

Michael Gray

Updated on June 04, 2026

The History of Mass Punishment in the Military

It is often discussed as being employed so as to bring about a sense of unity within an organization. If one person is out of line, the entire organization is out of line, and therefore the entire organization should work to ensure that no one is out of line.

What is the point of group punishment?

The idea is that by the whole group taking responsibility for each individual's actions, the group will be brought closer together. This is a common strategy in sports and the military. In a classroom situation, the theory is that the whole class may bond and will accordingly act more responsibly in the future.

Is group punishment allowed in the Army?

Collective punishment is prohibited by treaty in both international and non-international armed conflicts, more specifically Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol II.

Why group punishment is a war crime?

Article 22(2)(a) of the 1991 ILC Draft Code of Crimes against the Peace and Security of Mankind, states that “collective punishment” is an exceptionally serious war crime and a serious violation of the principles and rules of international law applicable in armed conflict.

Is it illegal to do collective punishment?

Collective punishment is prohibited, based on the fact that criminal responsibility can be attributed only to individuals. Respect for this principle can be ensured solely by establishing guarantees that protect judicial procedures.

USMC Stories: How Mass Punishment Works

Is holding students after the bell a war crime?

There are no direct laws against keeping people in class after the bell rings. Also, your school's policy or regulations can specifically say different rules about the bell. However, teachers must be careful not to abuse their power to keep students after the bell.

Is group punishment fair?

Even when we use group punishments sparingly, some students will feel slighted. When students are losing recess or being held after school day after day, week after week, we are seriously damaging our relationships with those students. Overuse of collective punishment can also backfire.

Why do schools do collective punishment?

Group or collective punishment, when the entire class is punished for the actions of a few, is used by many educators when the student at fault is not easily determined or when enough students are disrupting the class that the teacher decides to end the activity for all.

Is collective punishment allowed in school?

As of 2018, corporal punishment is still legal in private schools in every U.S. state except New Jersey and Iowa, legal in public schools in 19 states, and practiced in 15 states.

Can you smoke a soldier in the army?

Basically, smoke sessions are not authorized as they are a form of punishment. With that stated leaders can use a reasonable number of physical exercises as corrective training if authorized by the commander (See FM 7-22 extract below).

Is mass punishment allowed in the Marines?

Mass punishment is prohibited. b. Disciplinary reports shall be reserved for serious offenses or for interrupting a pattern of unacceptable behavior.

How many pushups can I make a soldier do?

The regulation has specified authority to correct minor acts of indiscipline with brief forms of exercise, such as 10 pushups for a soldier who arrives late to formation.

Are group punishments effective?

Collective punishment was counterproductive, provoking more occurrences of the undesired behavior. In no variation did collective punishment have a statistically significant effect on the likelihood of group members to punish one another internally to self-police or self-enforce group norms.

Can teachers slap students?

Center for Effective Discipline In 19 states, it's legal for teachers or principals to punish public school students by hitting them repeatedly instead of just giving them detention. This map from the Center for Effective Discipline shows the 19 states, in red, which have laws allowing corporal punishment in schools.

What happens if a teacher hits a student?

If a teacher abuses a student, he may get several charges and punishment. Sometimes, they may lose their license of teaching or they get bailed. After that, they may go into imprisonment for 3 months or 6 months in jail, or he has to give a fine of up to $1000, and sometimes he meets up with them both.

Is collective punishment illegal UK?

Article 33. No persons may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited.

Why do teachers do group punishment?

Teachers use collective punishment because they're either too lazy to come up with an alternative method or too overwhelmed to deal with issues appropriately or one on one.

Can teachers take your phone?

Teachers have every right to seize your phone, but they have NO right to go through its contents unless you give them permission. It is illegal for a teacher to go through the private contents of your cellphone without your consent, and it is illegal for them to force you to do it yourself.

Are detentions legal?

The law safeguards childrens' and parents' legitimate rights, and ensures reasonable limits on detention for children who misbehave. Schools do not have an unqualified right to impose detention: detentions must be reasonable and proportionate to the offence.

What happens if you refuse to do pushups in the army?

If you decline, they do not have to perform the order... Is this correct? No, the Soldier cannot decline and the leader is under no obligation to do the corrective training with the Soldier. Frequently leaders will do the corrective training with their Soldiers to motivate and inspire them.

Can you get smoked out of uniform?

Corrective training has to be directly related to the Soldier's shortcoming. Examples of inappropriate corrective training include a Soldier being “smoked” or made to clean the orderly room after duty hours for a uniform violation, having a dirty weapon or being late for formation.

How fast do you have to run a mile in the army?

When you enter Army basic training, you'll be divided into different groups based on your running test scores. Male runners in the top group will complete a mile in seven minutes or less. The second tier run the mile in less than 7:45, and the third group takes up to 8:30.

What is military punishment called?

Non-judicial punishment (or NJP) is any form of punishment that may be applied to individual military personnel, without a need for a court martial or similar proceedings.

What happens if you are late in the military?

If the employee continues to be tardy, subsequent corrective measures may involve a Letter of Leave Instructions, a Written Reprimand, a suspension and possibly removal. According to AR 690-700, Chapter 751, Army Table of Penalties, removal may be warranted if the tardiness is habitual.