Were you ever paddled in school?

[mco65]

yes, more times than i can count....

 

[tex1989]

More times than I can count. I was a good student graduated high in my class got a scholarship to college and still got wacked a lot. Of course I played football and a lot came from coaches. We had so many penalties in one game that in practice the next week they brought out the paddle and any infractions during scrimmages got three wacks. Had a few dust ups with other kids over the years and got pops for that. It was just the way it was and we dealt with it. I am neither in favor nor opposed to corporal punishment but do recall it changing at least a few minds when it came to behavior in my school years. Of course my punishment was never received for talking in class or not doing homework. I think the fear of getting punished for minor infractions might have altered behavior but the things I got it for were not well thought out in advance, they were more "emotional" reactions in the moment.

 

[MrsPete]

Yep, I was paddled in school.
Once. In front of the class, so humiliation was part of the punishment.
I deserved it.
I learned my lesson fast, and I was never paddled again.

Most of all, I NEVER told my mother: she always said that whatever we got at school, we'd get two at home. Praise or a reward at school? Two at home. Punishment at school? Two at home.

 

[BLAZEY]

Nope, not at school not allowed by the time I was in school. But if I had ever done something at school that warranted detention, or being sent to the principals office, would probable have got one at home. Fortunately, I never found out.

 

[Floridaman999]

Never myself but some of my friends and acquaintances did.

 

[design_mom]

Paddled is such a nice word for abused. When I look back on my Catholic School education, it makes me sick. The daily beatings that we all watched and some endured. Didn't make the correct loop when you were cursive writing? You would get hit. Hard. Did say thank you loud enough? A smack or punch upside the head.

I remember being so excited for Christmas Break that I was skipping down the hall on the way back from the bathroom. My skirt was pulled up and I was beaten with a paddle. I could still cry that this was the norm and accepted.

What a horrific and abusive institution of learning.

I attended a Catholic elementary school in the 70s/80s. While I suppose there was this reputation, I'd never heard or saw anyone receive any kind of corporal punishment. The nuns could occasionally be stern if kids were acting up, but for the most part they were some of the nicest, sweetest people I've ever met. Perhaps this was just my school.

However, when I first attended a public school, we got a packet that included a form for parents to sign that authorized corporal punishment. It was very specific too, describing the paddle in terms of size and material, and the number of times it would be applied. However, I don't recall ever hearing about such punishment being meted out.

I realize this is a zombie thread, but the two posts I'm responding to are new.

I went to Catholic school from 1978-1990, and my experience was much more like BCLA's. There were threats that you *could be* paddled, but I never ever knew anybody who actually *was* paddled, or hit upside the head, nor whacked with a ruler. You were more likely to get an extra assignment to write an essay on why whatever you did was wrong (elementary/middle grades) or a Saturday school detention where they made you work (high school).

 

[goofyernmost]

I went to Catholic school from 1978-1990, and my experience was much more like BCLA's. There were threats that you *could be* paddled, but I never ever knew anybody who actually *was* paddled, or hit upside the head, nor whacked with a ruler. You were more likely to get an extra assignment to write an essay on why whatever you did was wrong (elementary/middle grades) or a Saturday school detention where they made you work (high school).

I started school in 1954. Catholic elementary. and although I guess one has to define paddled, corporal punishment was alive and well. As a first grader (didn't have kindergarten back then), I remember being dragged into the class room by my ear. Many a wooden ruler across the back of the hand, palm or knuckles and once I was reading a book, like I was supposed to be doing, but, the nun didn't like my posture and she came up and slapped the book very hard directly into my face.

Back in those days you didn't tell your parents about it, because they would have taken the nuns side anyway. These type of thing happened through-out my grade school experience. Some I remember explicitly others I don't remember the reasons, but, I know that they happened. Intimidation was the name of the game. My final year in that school was highlighted by the parish pastor coming into the classroom regularly and taking up a collection from us for some personal thing like a new TV or something like that. If you had money on you, no homework, if you didn't you got a lot. I was not from a well to do family, in other words my parents didn't have spare money to give me so I never had any cash on me. If you think that I remained bitter about those years you would be absolutely correct.

 

[JPPT1974]

No never had. And my parents forbid it. Usually very rarely were we paddled by our folks. As usually good ones. But when we were, it hurt a lot. Ouch!

 

[WorldWacky]

I am appalled by some of these! I realize “back in the day” corporal punishment was more prevalent, but I had no idea that it was still going on even when I was in school. (80s and 90s) I went to Catholic school my entire life-12 years of it and never once did I ever hear of a student being paddled, hit, have erasers thrown at them, hair pulled, etc. I had nuns and lay teachers both in grade school and HS and no one was physically or verbally abusive. There were no paddles or switches proudly named and displayed anywhere. I can’t believe some of the things these people did to children! It’s just awful! And clearly, it wasn’t necessary as somehow the kids in my two schools got along without it!

 

[Poohforyou]

It isn't allowed in NJ. That being said, I never had a teacher that couldn't control students. No need for violence.

 

[mousefan73]

I'm just curious. Not looking for a debate or anything of that nature. I was talking with another teacher the other day about how there's really not much we can do to punish students when all we can do is give them a 15 minute activity detention (they get a 15 min. activity period before or after lunch). Big whoop, and they seriously just laugh it off.

Anyway, I was telling him that I didn't think paddling was all that much more effective either. When I was a kid, they'd often give a student a choice between a paddling and after-school detention and the kids almost always chose the paddling. And I know it wasn't a light smack -- they used those big thick paddles!

And yes, I got paddled once in the second grade. I still contend that it wasn't MY FAULT!

I never was. But I witnessed a paddling. It was middle school mid to late 80s. During lunch the typical class clown troublemaker type was given the choice either a detentiona or a paddling. He chose paddling which also included being paddled in front of the entire cafeteria. My opinion whether effective or not many kids deserve to be smacked A bit today. Specially when I see their behavior. I admire teachers for putting up with a lot of what I hear.

Now I did also witness paddling as a young child. A family friend had one that was hung in their kitchen and would often go at his two boys with it. It scared the crap out of me and my father was so against it and said he would never do that to me. It was borderline abuse. Being paddled for doing something like not picking your toys up.

 

[LSUmiss]

I started school in 1954. Catholic elementary. and although I guess one has to define paddled, corporal punishment was alive and well. As a first grader (didn't have kindergarten back then), I remember being dragged into the class room by my ear. Many a wooden ruler across the back of the hand, palm or knuckles and once I was reading a book, like I was supposed to be doing, but, the nun didn't like my posture and she came up and slapped the book very hard directly into my face.

Back in those days you didn't tell your parents about it, because they would have taken the nuns side anyway. These type of thing happened through-out my grade school experience. Some I remember explicitly others I don't remember the reasons, but, I know that they happened. Intimidation was the name of the game. My final year in that school was highlighted by the parish pastor coming into the classroom regularly and taking up a collection from us for some personal thing like a new TV or something like that. If you had money on you, no homework, if you didn't you got a lot. I was not from a well to do family, in other words my parents didn't have spare money to give me so I never had any cash on me. If you think that I remained bitter about those years you would be absolutely correct.

My dad went to catholic school in the 60s & early 70s & talked about the experiences you & others have described. I went in the 80s & 90s (same elementary school as him) & didn’t have anything like this. I didn’t even have nuns in the school until high school. They were strict but not physical at all.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Resurrecting a ten year old thread: That's a paddlin'!

 

[James_Nelson65]

Yes! Senior year, three of us guys threw water balloons at a pep session. The Asst Principal called us to the office the next day. He was all smiles as he told us about the dangers of throwing things. Then he opened his drawer and out came his paddle. He said, “Gentlemen, we need to take care of some business before you get back to class....it’s going to be three swats on the fanny.” One at a time, we had to bend over for our spankings. We were 17 years old and were totally humiliated.

 

[L&Lfan]

Never experienced it in my school, but today I see more videos and hear more on the news of students attacking teachers. I don’t think teachers are even allowed to “stand their ground” and defend themselves but I could be wrong. I would hope a teacher here would respond what the policy is if physically assaulted by a student.

 

[North of Mouse]

Why resurrect a zombie 10 year old thread?? Especially this one!

 

[disney junky]

Never was paddled. Had my mouth slapped by my second grade teacher. She was the master of using tape on kids' mouths if they talked out of turn. She also tied a boy in his seat with twine. Corporal punishment was common in my school in the 60's and 70's. I graduated in 73. When I became a teacher, I was teaching middle school in 86, and I threatened the study hall I was monitoring that if anyone talked, I would paddle them. I figured the threat was enough, but didn't these four little buggers go and test me. Knowing an idle threat would undermine my authority, I gave three of the four a light swat after dismissing the rest of the students. The fourth was a girl, and there was no way I was going to do that. By the time I got to the third boy, he was in tears and saying he'd never talk in study hall again. At that moment, I thought, what the heck am I doing? Interestingly, third boy just married the daughter of a very close friend of mine and attends church with me. I haven't brought it up, as I don't want to embarrass him.

Though corporal punishment was legal at the time, we had a very wise principal who suggested a scenario. He said, imagine you are standing before a judge, you the adult, and a kid, half your size, and you are accused of abusing this student. No matter how bad this student behaved, no matter how angry he made you, visually, you are not putting yourself in a good position.

I never again after that laid a hand on a student unless it was to break up a fight or to keep a student from being hurt.

 

[pahoben]

We had a stand-in coach one time for an eight grade basketball practice. At the end of practice he told me to run laps and I blew it off and went to the locker room. I was partially undressed when he grabbed me and threw me into a locker and told me to go back immediately in my state of undress and run the laps. I did as instructed and ran the laps. I never said a word about this to anyone because he was right. Now if a coach even touches a scholarship player in college there is terrible mental trauma and everyone hears about it.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Resurrecting a ten year old thread: That's a paddlin'!

I reiterate...

 

[GoingSince1990]

The terrifying nuns who ran my primary school in the UK in the early 70s demonstrated a keen sense of irony by calling themselves the “Sisters of Mercy” while hitting the kids on a regular basis with their bamboo canes.