aren’t we always told that corporal punishment encourages violence? I was always brought up to believe kicking another person or animal, even in play, was forbidden. These days I see it happening as a first resort. I despair at the lack of care or concern about the injuries it can cause.
I don’t actually believe corporal punishment would be appropriate here. Unlike some contributors, I believe it was best suited to minor or moderate misconduct, not for serious offences, and as such I don’t think it needed to be particularly severe. I’m afraid I think this behaviour calls for a loss of liberty and privileges on the lines of the approved school, but better managed than the bad institutions of the past.
The cane will not return in the UK, but with 13 London teenagers killed as a result of knife crime so far in 2010 and literally tens of thousands wounded, something has to change attitudes in our society. It may not be called child abuse, but isn’t it just as bad?