When Does “Disciplining” Cross Over into Abuse?

This week, personal accounts have been surfacing on social media about alleged incidents of physical and emotional abuse at a local private arts school. But when it comes to private extracurricular or enrichment classes that we send our children to, there are often few formal guidelines. Therefore, how the children are treated or taught can differ greatly - including questions of discipline. But in these settings, how do we draw the line between disciplining a child and abuse, and what should we do when that line is crossed?