Spanking

Spanking is a form of corporal punishment involving the act of striking, with either the palm of the hand or an implement, the buttocks of a person to cause physical pain.

[3] Some countries have outlawed the spanking of children in every setting, including homes, schools, and penal institutions,[4] while others permit it when done by a parent or guardian.

In North America, the word "spanking" has often been used as a synonym for an official paddling in school,[6] and sometimes even as a euphemism for the formal corporal punishment of adults in an institution.

[8] In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, the word "smacking" is generally used in preference to "spanking" when describing striking with an open hand, rather than with an implement.

[9] Parents commonly spank their children as a form of corporal punishment in the United States; however, support for this practice appears to be declining amongst U.S.

[19] If a child is frequently spanked, this form of corporal punishment tends to become less effective at modifying behavior over time (also known as extinction).

[25] Several medical, pediatric, or psychological societies have issued statements opposing all forms of corporal punishment in schools, citing such outcomes as poorer academic achievements, increases in antisocial behaviors, injuries to students, and an unwelcoming learning environment.

[citation needed] Within the early 20th century, American men spanking their wives and girlfriends was often seen as an acceptable form of domestic discipline.

[41] In the early 21st century, adherents of a small subculture known as Christian domestic discipline have on a literalist interpretation of the Bible justified spanking as a form of acceptable punishment of women by their husbands.

Men traditionally receive spankings and women get whipped, with the number of strokes to be administered (always lightly) by the temple staff being decided in either case by the god Wang Ye and by burning incense and tossing two pieces of wood, after which all go home happily, believing their luck will improve.

[44] On Easter Monday, there is a Slavic tradition of spanking girls and young ladies with woven willow switches (Czech: pomlázka; Slovak: korbáč) and dousing them with water.