I imagine that for many thirteen-year-olds shock would soon have given way to a satisfying feeling of having passed a ‘rite of passage’ and perhaps not being quite so concerned about facing a repeat experience (at least until the moment of having to bend over again!)
My administrator then quietly pointed out that the cane he had used was actually that generally regarded as appropriate for boys in the lower years of secondary school. I was left wondering what the more senior boys would have experienced and how it compared, but I will have to wait for another occasion before I find out.
Corporal Punishment and The Caning Experience17
