British newspaper letters from 1960s (#4 of about 12): More letters about caning girls
by Anne O'Nimis
Continuing the series of letters from British newspapers. I'm not sure whether it's a question of 1960s values, or of whether the original letter collector was selective in the articles he/she saved, but pro-caning sentiment outnumbers anti-caning by about 3 to 1.
Reminder: Credit for collecting and scanning these letters goes to some other anonymous soul. I just found the scans and am typing them in.
From the Nottingham Evening Post:
Punishment by Caning Has Many Advantages (29 April 1965)
Mr. J.D. Bingham [apparently refers to author of an anti-caning
editorial] would do well to support causes more deserving than
young delinquents.
When I was a girl at school some 30 years ago, the cane was regularly
used for the maintenance of discipline in both girls' and boys' classes,
and I well recall being so punished for insolence at the age of 14. While
I suffered none of the psychological and social effects mentioned by Mr.
Bingham, I was most certainly deterred from repeating such behaviour.
Many of the young girls of today lack discipline both in school and at
home. Although the majority grow up as normal young people, a few
behave in a manner dangerous both to themselves and to society. Where
such behavior violates the law it would, I am sure, be of benefit both to
themselves and to the public if they were, as I was, bent over a chair and
soundly caned.
As a judicial punishment caning has many advantages. It can be used
for young people of either sex. When administered on the bottom,
although suitably painful at the time, it causes no physical harm, and due
to its association with naughtiness rather than actual crime, it lacks the
glamour of the birch.
If it were instituted for certain offences in the case of young persons
considered suitable for such punishment, it would save a great amount
of the work and expense involved in the present system of probation
officers, remand homes and approved schools. In addition, it would
enable cases needing more individual treatment to be dealt with more
carefully by orthodox means.
Spare the Rod, Hucknall.
A Girl's View of Caning (1 May 1965)
A someone who, unlikely as it seems to me at present, might possibly
find myself ordered to be caned if the ideas of some of your readers
were adopted, I should like to protest at this horrible idea.
Two years ago I attended a school where the cane was used by certain
teachers. It was almost a classroom joke with them, the victim being
required to touch his or her toes and receive two to four light strokes.
The boys treated it as a lark and an easy let-off, and a few exhibitionists
amongst us girls seemed to delight in suffering this punishment,
especially in mixed classes. Myself and others were afraid of being
punished this way, not because of the slight pain involved but because of
the humiliation. On the two occasions I was caned I was upset for some
time afterwards, although my parents said I had probably deserved it,
and not to be a silly girl.
I think this is what would happen if we were ordered to be caned by the
courts. Some of us would not be greatly affected by it, the showoffs
would glory in it, and others like myself would be upset out of all
proportion to the offence.
A Schoolgirl, Age 16, Mansfield.
Girls' Punishment (7 May 1965)
Having spent many years in mixed and girls' schools, I have never heard
of a girl being punished as "A Schoolgirl Age 16" of Mansfield describes.
In my experience where corporal punishment is administered to girls by
tawse or strap is generally used on the palms of the hands or on the
thighs and, except for occasional spanking of young children,
punishment would not be administered in front of class.
To the best of my knowledge, the cane is only used for girls in certain
corrective institutions as a punishment for serious offences and only
under strict regulations as to its use.
I have always found that while at the age of 11 or 12 the deterrent effect
of corporal punishment is similar for boys and girls, it increases greatly
with age in the case of girls, and most girls of 15 or over would regard
such punishment as a very severe penalty.
Provided that due regard were paid to age and sex I believe some form
of judicial corporal punishment would be a very good thing.
Mrs. Ruth M. Harrison, Farnsworth-drive, Calverton, Notts.
Why All the Fuss? (12 May 1965)
Why "Schoolgirl Mansfield" creates such a fuss over school spankings, I
don't know. I agree that to cane a girl is not desirable but we at boarding
school are subject to strapping with a "tawse," according to age, on the
hands or bottom by our school nurse in private. This, I am told, has been
practiced for years and all accept it without fuss.
I agree I was one who objected but at 15 I am sure I am better mannered
for it. If secondary schools were to adopt it more, I am sure some of the
present day hooliganism would stop.