Corporal punishment implements: The Ruler Tuesday, Jan 16 2007

The ruler is a symbol of school discipline in many countries. It is also the first of the implements I am discussing here that is more commonly used on the hands of the culprit thatn on the bottom.

“Stefanie, stand up and hold out your hand”
That short sentence, uttered in french, is part of my own small experience with school corporal punishment. It would be followed by a near total silence in the classroom, my answer “Yes, Miss” in a low voice. And then a number of smacks, wood on a girls palm, and a few gasps after the strokes. “Sit down, let that be a lesson for you.”

I have talked to a lot of people from a variety of mostly european countries, and many of them have experienced something along these lines. The ruler, it seems, was a common implement for quick classroom punishments, mainly used on the pupils hands.

Applied there, the ruler does sting. Not like a hand caning does, but enough to get a point across. Also, the procedure of receiving ones punishment directly in front of your classmates adds up to its effectiveness.

It is interesting that there seem to be a few different traditions of ruler-on-the hands-discipline. Most people I talked with got it on their palms, like I did. But there were also those who remembered getting it over the back of their hands or even their knuckles and fingers.

In traditional school punishment, mostly wooden rulers were used. Plastic rulers produce a quite different, more intense sting, as they are more flexible. They, however, tend to break quite easily, which makes them ill-suited for more than light discipline, in my opinion.

The ruler, of course, also has been used by mothers and fathers on their unruly offspring. And while it has seen use on the hands in families, its main area of usage here was (and probably is) the bottom. A thorough dose of the ruler can be quite painful, though it would never be as effective as a slipper or spoon. A ruler is lightweight, so it does not bruise, it only stings. The only thing that can happen is that the sides of the ruler bite into the skin, which will leave nasty marks.

Overall, rulers seem to be a good tool for lighter forms of discipline, both at home and at schools. If corporal punishment were to return in european countries, I’d hope to see it in use there.

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Corporal punishment implements: The Slipper Tuesday, Jan 9 2007

The Slipper, which I will write about today, is an implement well known for its use in british schools as well as a classic tool for parents worldwide. For an implement with such widespread usage, it may not be surprising to find out that there is no such thing as “the slipper”. They come in different varieties.

The slipper used in schools normally wasn’t what you would call a slipper really, it was a plimsoll. With a sturdy rubber sole, it could make a thorough impression when used on some miscreants backside. A slippering does not leave long-lasting marks like a caning does, but it leaves the culprits bottom hot and sore. As the sole of the plimsoll strikes a wider area of the buttocks (for smaller backsides, it may even hit both buttocks in one stroke), the sting is not originating from a single point of impact, the whole bottom seems to be burning.
A slippering is widely regarded as a lighter punishment than a caning. While this is correct in general, a good dose of the slipper can be quite painful. If the whacks are carried out hard, any pupil will have trouble sitting down afterwards.

At homes, plimsolls are also used, but more common here is the “real” slipper, the houseshoe. The variety goes from rubber- or plastic soles to slippers made of leather. The slipper is most often used because it – like the spoon we already talked about – is easily available. I know my mother sometimes took hers off while I was already over her lap. Sometimes she took mine as well, if other “helpers” were not easily available…
Most household slippers are not that harsh in effect as a real rubber-soled plimsoll, but they still deliver sound lessons. A misbehaving son or daughter will not quickly forget a thorough dose of the slipper delivered by an upset parent.
The slipper hurts most on a bare or knicker-clad posterior. Thicker clothing removes much of the effect from the whacks.

The slipper, a tool used for both formal and informal cp, will with no doubt remain a favourite of many parents.

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Back and married :-) Sunday, Jan 7 2007

My dear friends,

i am back, just as announced. And I am quite proud to announce that on December 28, I was married to my long-time partner, Mr. Wilhelms.
He and I share our ideas about the importance of traditional discipline and the value corporal punishment still has today. We also both, as modern, open-minded people, embrace traditional and time-honoured values.
This blog, and the ongoing series about corporal punishment implements, will continue. I hope you all had a nice and merry christmas and a happy new year.

Yours,

Stefanie von Platen-Wilhelms

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