BACKGROUND: I encourage people in my public speaking classes to do controversial subjects; I also demonstrate major speeches for them. I’ve decided to do a demo persuasive speech arguing that we should use more corporal punishment in our judicial system. Those who respond are a (very unscientific) sample poll.
SURVEY–Give me demographics like your gender, approximate age (under 21, 21-35, 36-55, 56 and up).
Would you favor sentences for some crimes to include an option of such corporal punishments as caning or flogging?
Would you like to see corporal punishment allowed in schools again?
Should corporal punishment be used in higher education?
Would justly enforced corporal punishment create more discipline at work?
(filter question to check on bias, and also for fun) Do you think that being spanked could be enjoyable?
Feel free to offer any additional comments as you see fit.
I’m glad there’s no corporal punishment authorized in schools now (although I’m not naive enough to believe none exists).
When I was teaching school, way back, there were many sadistic teachers with large paddles hanging on the walls, or quick rulers to the knuckles.
There were also many injuries that never made the papers.
Those of us who were pacifists were always being asked to look the other way or help cover up “for the sake of the dignity of the profession.” Some of us insisted this was a false “dignity” if we allowed such practices, but change was slow coming.
Age: 21-35
Sex: Not often enough, apparently…no, wait… male.
Questions:
No
No.
You mean in college? Yeah right. No.
At work?? Good God, man! No.
Strangely enough, yes, it is indeed enjoyable.
Comments:
I was never beaten in school (although my 1st grade teacher used to pull hair), but I was spanked as a child. I don’t think it caused any lasting psychological damage, but it didn’t teach me to respect authority, either. It did teach me (1) to view my dad as a disciplinarian to be feared and (2) to go to great lengths to cover up anything I did wrong. Probably not the lesson that those who believe in corporal punishment want to send to today’s “troubled youth”.
30s male. No to all questions. Assaulting children is still assault. You can get obedience from fear, but not respect or cooperation. Nowadays people know that you train dogs more effectively with rewards not cuffs.
Would you favor sentences for some crimes to include an option of such corporal punishments as caning or flogging?
No.
Would you like to see corporal punishment allowed in schools again?
No, no, no.
Should corporal punishment be used in higher education?
No, no, no, no.
Would justly enforced corporal punishment create more discipline at work?
Did it (really) when applied on British naval ships of the 18th century?
(filter question to check on bias, and also for fun) Do you think that being spanked could be enjoyable?
That’s for negotiation on a case-by-case basis.
Corporal punishment was still in use when I was in school, and in my experience was applied in an entirely arbitrary and unfair manner. To my mind, it has nothing to do with justice, but is simply a crude theater designed to cow others into obeying an all-knowing authority system. IOW, a fascistic rule by fear.
I believe that, except when one is defending onself from attack, any physical assault is a crime, whether by an idividual or the state.
Those of you who believe that public schools have discarded corporal punishment across the board should realize there are quite a few school districts that still use it. In fact, my mom teaches in one.
Would you favor sentences for some crimes to include an option of such corporal punishments as caning or flogging?
Yes.
Would you like to see corporal punishment allowed in schools again?
Yes, with approval and presence of the parents. I think a lot of today’s youth are unconcerned about the discipline measures now taken in schools.
Should corporal punishment be used in higher education?
No. Dismissal or higher court’s intervention.
Would justly enforced corporal punishment create more discipline at work?
No. Fear of government punishment should not affect employee’s performance, one way or the other, unless, of course, they are committing a crime at work!
(filter question to check on bias, and also for fun) Do you think that being spanked could be enjoyable?
Depends on the circumstances.
I think wew should bring back Public Humiliation: You know, the stock and pillory. Put people on display in the village square, so we can jeer at them and throw rotten vegetables.
According to the last statistics I read, a surprisingly 61% of parents do practice spanking to discipline their children. (Yay!)
36 - 55
1). Yes, not much else seems to get through to many criminals.
2). Yes, but with guidelines.
3). No.
4). No. It’s liable to get people shot.
5). No.
I was spanked as a child. It taught me respect for laws and rules. I did not view my parents as monsters. I found out that if you push ‘laws’ to the limit, you will be punished. To date I have no criminal record. I was paddled in school. I survived, with the understanding that I had gone too far. I was not a bully in school. I took no pleasure in inflicting physical pain on others. (When in school, it seemed that far too many boys used ‘beatings’ to dominate others with apparent success.)
I have many friends who grew up with spankings. Almost all lead good lives, have not turned into nut cases, have no criminal records, and most physically discipline their children.
Last note: There is a difference between a spanking and a beating. I know of kids who were beaten in discipline and several of them are now either in jail, have been in jail, have been spouse abusers, have been divorced and are not the type of people you’d want for neighbors.
Sorry, no to all questions.
Parental spanking is another story. A lot of us grew with old school parents who would give us a swat to keep us in line. Beating someone, is not a cure for anything.
SURVEY–Give me demographics like your gender, approximate age (under 21, 21-35, 36-55, 56 and up).**
Female, 36-55. Parent of 2 boys.
**
Would you favor sentences for some crimes to include an option of such corporal punishments as caning or flogging?**
Absolutely not
**
2) Would you like to see corporal punishment allowed in schools again?**
Absolutely not
**
3) Should corporal punishment be used in higher education?
**
Absolutely not
**
4) Would justly enforced corporal punishment create more discipline at work?**
How could it possibly do that? No.
**
5) (filter question to check on bias, and also for fun) Do you think that being spanked could be enjoyable?
**
There’s a world of difference between sex play between consenting adults and adults beating on kids.
I think I would, but am not sure how it would be decided what punishment for what crime.
Yes. I was never spanked in school, though when I went to school they did that sort of thing. I hate to sound old and crotchety, but there was much much less bad behaviour in school back then.
No, if by that age you don’t understand how to behave, then corporal punishment isn’t going to change it.
Possibly; I think it would run a high risk of unequalapplication to less socially privileged folk, though, and it tends to insult human dignity. Sometimes human dignity NEEDS insulting, I suppose.
Absolutely not, for a variety of good reasons. Students in all schools except colleges tend to be minors, and just barely adults in college. If there is a place for corporal punishment, I don’t think it is in a context where you have huge inherent power differentials between those weilding the rod and those receiving it, and especially not where those differences include differences in physical size and strength, because then you end up teaching, albeit inadvertently, that coercion is its own justification.
See above first. I think possibly, but it would be a pretty narrow possibility after considering factors listed in points 1 and 2.
I kind of doubt it.
I’ve heard that it is for some people. I don’t think it would do much for me.