Maman has received the following from a contributor named Uma, supposedly the results of a research project into the use of corporal punishment on children in India. We present it unedited and without comment regarding reliability or veracity.
Role of Corporal Punishment at Home for School-going Kids in India
For my Bachelor of Education project on “The Role of Corporal Punishment as Parental Discipline at Home for School-Going Children in India,” I conducted extensive research, including a study of its history and interviews with around 100 parents from diverse backgrounds, both rural and urban, across various social and economic strata.
Traditional Discipline Practices
In many traditional Indian families, discipline is considered essential to child-rearing. Mothers, as primary caregivers, often administer punishment, while fathers are more distant authority figures. A range of implements are used, each varying in severity, flexibility, and effectiveness, including wooden rulers, switches, belts, bamboo canes, rattan canes and whips.
The following comparative analysis provides an overview of the different implements historically used in corporal punishment for parental discipline. Each tool has unique characteristics, ranging from size, flexibility, and severity to maintenance and usage.
Wooden Ruler/Scale :
• Size: Usually 30 to 45 cm long, 3 to 4 cm wide, and about 5 mm thick.
• Quality: Rigid with low flexibility, offering moderate durability.
• Availability & Cost: Readymade and easily available in stationery stores for around 20-50 INR.
• Usage: Commonly used on the hands, thighs, or buttocks. Typically used on clothed areas with medium force.
• Effectiveness: Effective for immediate correction. Produces sharp, short stinging pain.
• Severity: Low to Moderate. Causes red marks and superficial pain that fades within minutes or hours, leaving minimal bruising.
• Maintenance: Requires no special maintenance.
• Sound & Swing: Makes a sharp “snap” sound on impact. Involves wrist flicks for rapid strikes.
• Age Range: Usually for younger children, around 5 to 10 years old.
• Bodily Movement of Punisher: The Punisher typically uses a focused or neutral expression, with short, quick wrist movement.
Switch (Fresh Green Branch) :
• Size: 60 to 90 cm long, 5 to 10 mm in diameter.
• Quality: Very flexible and pliable, but short-lived. Needs frequent replacement.
• Availability & Cost: Custom-built from fresh flexible tree branches, readily available for free.
• Usage: Often used on the legs, thighs or buttocks. Can be used on unclothed or clothed skin with light to medium force.
• Effectiveness: Highly effective for sharp, stinging pain due to its flexibility, depending on the thickness and flexibility of the branch. A thin switch can sting intensely.
• Severity: Leaves raised welts or thin red lines that last a few hours. The pain is sharp and focused.
• Maintenance: None required; usually disposed of after use, as it dries out and becomes brittle soon.
• Sound & Swing: Produces a “swishing” sound during swings. Wrist flicks are key for delivering quick, stinging strikes.
• Age Range: Suitable for children aged 6 to 10 years.
• Bodily Movement of Punisher : The punisher typically maintains a focused or firm expression, with a loose wrist grip for quick flicking motions
Leather Belt or Strap :
• Size: 80 to 100 cm long and 3 to 5 cm wide.
• Quality: Moderately flexible with high durability, lasting for years.
• Availability & Cost: Readymade belts are available in most markets for 200–800 INR, depending on the material.
• Usage: Typically used on the buttocks or thighs, usually over clothing. Medium to high force is applied.
• Effectiveness: Very effective due to its weight and surface area. It can deliver a deep, heavy pain.
• Severity: Causes dull, heavy pain with bruising and welts if used on bare skin. Marks can last for days.
• Maintenance: Requires periodic conditioning with leather oil to maintain flexibility.
• Sound & Swing: Produces a loud, flat “crack” sound on impact. The punisher swings the belt using a full-arm motion for force.
• Age Range: Typically used for children aged 8 to 14 years.
• Bodily Movement of Punisher: The punisher may show a determined or angry expression, using a swinging motion from the elbow with a firm wrist flick.
Green Bamboo Cane :
• Size: 70 to 90 cm long, with a diameter of 6 to 10 mm.
• Quality: Flexible but can crack easily if not handled carefully. Moderate durability.
• Availability & Cost: Custom-made from freshly cut bamboo, available for around 20–50 INR.
• Usage: Most effective on the legs, buttocks or thighs. Works best on unclothed skin with light to medium force.
• Effectiveness: Sharp, stinging pain due to flexibility and hollow structure, which can create a whiplike effect. Effective for quick punishment.
• Severity: Leaves sharp pain with raised welts or red lines that may last several days to a week.
• Maintenance: Requires regular checks for cracks and splinters. Also needs to be soaked in water regularly to retain flexibility.
• Sound & Swing: Produces a distinct “whoosh” sound during swings. Requires a full-arm motion with a wrist flick for optimal effect.
• Age Range: Generally used on children aged 10 to 16 years.
• Bodily Movement of Punisher: The punisher typically maintains a neutral or focused expression, with firm wrist and arm movement for accuracy.
Ripe Bamboo Cane :
• Size: 70 to 90 cm long, with a diameter of 6 to 10 mm.
• Quality: Less flexible than green bamboo, more rigid, and highly durable.
• Availability & Cost: Custom-built from ripe bamboo, costing 20–50 INR.
• Usage: Used mainly on the palms, legs, thighs, or buttocks, unclothed for maximum effect. Medium to high force is applied.
• Effectiveness: Produces deep, thudding pain due to its weight.
• Severity: Causes bruising and raised welts, or red lines with pain and marks lasting up to a week or longer.
• Maintenance: Inspect regularly for cracks; no other maintenance required.
• Sound & Swing: Makes a heavier “thud” sound upon impact. Requires a full-arm swing for maximum force.
• Age Range: Typically used for older children and teenagers, aged 12 to 18 years.
• Bodily Movement of Punisher: The punisher may show a determined expression, using a full-arm motion for increased impact.
Rattan Cane :
• Size: 80 to 100 cm long, with a diameter of 6 to 10 mm.
• Quality: Highly flexible, durable, and long-lasting with proper care, similar to the bamboo cane, but more lightweight.
• Availability & Cost: Made from the rattan plant, known for its flexibility and strength.Custom-built canes are available for 50–100 INR.
• Usage: Mostly used on the legs, buttocks, and thighs, usually on bare skin and palms at times. Light to medium force is typically applied.
• Effectiveness: Extremely effective for producing sharp, stinging pain.
• Severity: Leaves raised welts, red lines, and bruises that can last up to a week, even with light use. Pain is sharp and intense.
• Maintenance: Needs oiling occasionally to maintain flexibility and prevent cracking.
• Sound & Swing: Produces a sharp “hissing” sound. The punisher uses a full-arm swing with a wrist flick to deliver maximum sting.
• Age Range: Typically used on children and teenagers aged 10 to 18 years.
• Bodily Movement of Punisher: The punisher usually maintains a focused and intimidating expression with wide red eyes, pressed lips, and flared nostrils, using fluid wrist and arm movements for effective strikes.
Rubber Coated Rattan Cane :
• Size: 80 to 100 cm long, with a diameter of 6 to 8 mm.
• Quality: Very flexible, more durable due to the rubber coating.
• Availability & Cost: Readymade, available for 100–200 INR.
• Usage: Primarily used on the buttocks and thighs, typically on bare skin with medium force.
• Effectiveness: Extremely effective, producing a sharper sting than plain rattan canes.
• Severity: Causes severe welts and bruising, with marks lasting more than a week.
• Maintenance: Requires occasional cleaning, but no oiling is necessary.
• Sound & Swing: Produces a sharp “swish” with a distinct snap on impact. Requires wrist flicks for maximum sting.
• Age Range: Typically used for older children and teenagers, aged 12 to 18 years.
• Bodily Movement of Punisher: The punisher usually maintains a firm, neutral expression, with a fluid wrist flick for optimal stinging impact
Whip :
• Size: Typically 100 to 150 cm long, with varying diameters based on design.
• Quality: Highly flexible and durable with proper care, often made from leather.
• Availability & Cost: Available in markets for 500–1500 INR, depending on material quality.
• Usage: Usually used on larger body parts like the back, thighs, and buttocks. Typically used on bare skin with high force.
• Effectiveness: Extremely severe, can cause significant pain and damage if not used carefully.
• Severity: Intense pain, with the potential for welts, and cuts, depending on the force and length of the whip. Marks may last for weeks.
• Maintenance: Leather whips require conditioning with regular oiling to keep them suppleand to maintain flexibility.
• Sound & Swing: Produces a sharp “crack” sound on impact. Requires full-arm swings combined with wrist flicks.
• Age Range: Generally used for older teens, 16 years and above, due to the severity of the tool.
• Bodily Movement of Punisher: The punisher often shows a more aggressive expression, with a full-body motion to maximize impact.
Detailed Breakdown of Key Factors :
1. Size (Length, Width/Thickness)
• Longer and thinner implements like the rattan cane and nylon-coated rattan cane allow for higher flexibility and greater whip-like action.
• Thicker and shorter tools, like the wooden scale or belt, provide less flexibility but deliver more blunt force and bruising.
2. Quality (Flexibility, Durability)
• Switches and green bamboo canes are highly flexible but degrade quickly with frayed ends, requiring replacement.
• Leather belts, rattan canes and rubber-coated rattan canes are more durable, with rattan canes needing regular oiling to maintain flexibility and prevent cracking
3. Availability & Cost
• Most items are readymade, except for custom-built tools like switches or bamboo canes, which are inexpensive but require access to local materials.
• Belts and whips vary widely in price, depending on material quality, ranging from 200-1500 INR.
4. Usage (Body Parts, Clothed/Unclothed, Force)
• Hands are typically targeted with smaller, lighter tools like the wooden ruler.
• Larger areas like the buttocks, legs and thighs are common targets for heavier tools, with rattan canes, bamboo canes, and belts. These areas can be clothed or unclothed, with force adjusted accordingly.
5. Effectiveness
• Implements like the rattan cane and whip are extremely effective for creating sharp, stinging pain due to their high flexibility and whip-like action.
• Blunt-force tools like belts and ripe bamboo canes are effective at creating deep bruises with prolonged pain.
6. Severity (Pain, Marks, Welts)
• Thinner, flexible tools such as rattan or nylon-coated canes produce sharp welts and red lines that can last for several days to a week.
• Blunt tools like the belt or ripe bamboo cane cause bruising and deeper pain that lingers for longer periods.
• Physics behind pain: Thinner implements concentrate force on a smaller surface area, increasing the pressure and resulting in stinging pain and welts. Thicker, heavier implements distribute force more broadly, causing deep tissue bruising.
7. Maintenance
• Items like rattan and leather whips require occasional oiling or soaking to maintain flexibility and prevent cracking.
• Green bamboo canes should be kept moist to retain flexibility, and belts need conditioning to avoid drying out.
8. Sound
• Tools like the rattan cane produce a distinct “hissing’’ sound when it splits the air to strike the place of contact, followed by a sharp snap on impact, while a belt produces a heavier thud.
9. Age Range
• Implements like the ruler or switch were traditionally used for younger children (5–12 years) due to their lower severity.
• Heavier tools such as rattan canes, belts, or whips were historically applied to older children and teens (10–18 years).
10. Swing/Bodily Movement of Punisher
• Historically, the facial expressions of the punisher varied from neutral to angry, depending on the intensity of punishment.
• Body movement involved minimal wrist flicks for lighter tools like ruler or switch and fluid wrist and full-arm motion for effective strikes in case of heavier implements such as bamboo canes or rattan canes and a full-body motion for whips to maximize impact.
Socio-Economic and Demographic Observations
1) The rural mothers are mostly homemakers belonging to low-education & low-economic strata of the society. However, they are equally concerned about the well-being of their children and hence traditionally often resort to punishments for any disciplinary issues.The implements they normally use are available in plenty in the vicinity they belong to, such as switches and bamboo. Whenever in need, they just cut it from the various tree branches or bamboo trees, clean it thoroughly to remove the leaves and shoots, and use it mercilessly all over the body parts of their wards, as long as it does not break.
2) The urban mothers, belonging to educated middle-income group families, whether working or simply homemakers, are also equally concerned about the well-being and future of their kids and hence normally don’t refrain from resorting to corporal punishments, both on disciplinary matters or studies. They normally use wooden rulers, to begin with, and then switch to a more salutary implement like a readymade rattan caneavailable in the market or a custom-built bamboo stick. They never compromise on the academic progress of their school-going children. They are also active in social media groups like WhatsApp with other like-minded moms to openly discuss the issues concerning their children to seek advice from others, including the choice of punishing implements and their availability in the market or otherwise.
3) The third category is the urban mothers living in big cities and metros, mostly working and placed in high-profile jobs, who belong to well-educated high-income ambitious families are also very much concerned about the progress of their school-going children to ensure that they are better placed in the society in future as their parents are. So, they also do never compromise on any failure on their part, mostly on education matters, and hence also resort to punishments, whenever they feel it appropriate. They, however, generally use sophisticated costly implements like imported rattan canes, specially designed rubber/nylon rubber-coated rattan canes, or even leather whips. There is also a silent competition between the peers of such mothers as regards who is stricter among them and who uses more severe implements. I even had the opportunity to visit one mother, who openly displayed her possessions, like a whip hanging on the living room wall.
Non-Corporal Punishment Approach
Around 20% of mothers interviewed reported never resorting to any corporal punishment for child-rearing, instead relying at times on stern intimidating facial gestures with rolling eyes and flaring nostrils to bring their kids back on track if they would ever falter.
Conclusion:
This study highlights the varied methods of corporal punishment used by mothers in India, shaped by cultural, economic, and educational factors, reflecting the importance many parents place on discipline in child-rearing.