Spanking in the 1970's

we would hang our towel up on the peg opposite and were made to shower in full view of the games master and the other boys waiting and those leaving the cubicle.

Now in all seriousness tell me: how is this not a very good way to create future (gay?) exhibitionists and voyeurs? Sounds like something Pavlov or B.F. Skinner might have thought up as a good method of behavioural reinforcement.

I remember seeing the neighbor boy, 16, running out of the house with his dad chasing him with a very scary looking paddle. I was 7 at the time, so that would’ve been 1981. I was quite shocked and intrigued, because the boy was actually taller than the dad, and I thought he was way too big and too old for spankings. I was definitely wrong. A few minutes later the dad was dragging the boy back in to the house. We lived in a duplex so I got to hear some of it through the wall.

Your story about the 16 year old running from his dad to avoid a paddling in 1981 didn't surprise me. I'm sure that some kids that age did run or try to get away. Maybe it worked for them but I doubt it. They probably ended up getting their butts spanked harder for the getaway attempt. My brothers and I were paddled by our Dad in our teens. My brother got his last paddling when he was 17 and I got my last one when I was 16 or 17. Not sure about our younger brother but I'm sure that he got paddled after my brother and I had already left home for college. Our younger brother was 16 when I left home at 18 and I know for certain that he had been paddled or spanked in the year before I left for college. As for running from our Dad to avoid getting paddled, that never happened. I can't answer for my brothers but for me I knew that I had no place to go if I ran away and that I would get a worse paddling for trying to get away. And we weren't punished unfairly. We didn't have to be happy about getting spanked but we knew that we were in the wrong and accepted the consequences. Our relationships with our parents were good and getting our butts swatted hard when we misbehaved was part of the deal. I can understand a kid trying to get away from an abusive parent and that running is fair then.

I suspect it depends on where you grew up and the neighborhood.

I was growing up a bit later, my prime "spanking age" was late 70s early 80s. Spanking perhaps might have already started to fall out of fashion compared to earlier times, probably more so in big cities, but I grew up in a small backwater town and spankings at home were a common and usual punishment for children, especially for boys, or at least I knew more about boys. Most boys I knew growing up were spanked by their parents throughout elementary and middle school age, many in to early high school. This included kids in my class at school, neighbor kids and my playmates and friends. Both my best friends and their sibs were spanked at home by their parents. My own parents, chiefly Dad, did not hesitate to spank for misbehavior. Paddle bare bottom over dad's knee from age 10 to 13, then belt as a teenager through 15. Also got a few switchings from mom on occasions when Dad was away on a work trip and things were urgent and could not wait till Dad gets back and "deals" with my or my brother's behavior.

I also had an experience similar to the mentioned by one of earlier posters. I remember when I was in the 6th grade, our homeroom teacher, a woman in her 40's, once was talking about being a good citizen, behavior and discipline, at school and at home, and why discipline is needed, and asked the class to name what disciplines are out there and children get, and my classmates started saying things like grounding, no tv, extra chores, scoldings, sent to our room, being hollered at, taking the toys away, not getting money for movies or ice cream, parents not buying you a toy you wished because you did not behave good lately, and finally somebody blurted out "spankings", and our homeroom teacher nodded and asked to raise hands those "who gets punished at home on your bare bottom for discipline" using these exact words. Most kids in the class automatically raised their hands, I'd say may be about 80% of boys in my class and many girls raised their hand, but then quickly lowered it and everyone seemed quite embarrassed. One boy in the second-row desk who was not fast enough to lower his hand and kept it raised alone for several more seconds than anyone else seemed particularly shame-faced and embarrassed and looked down. So at least that part got it at home, and those who did not raise their hand were not necessarily unspanked by their parents, but could have been just more quick-witted or more embarrassed to admit it, and did not raise their hand because of that.

I am also not sure why she (our teacher) specifically remarked about the bare bottom part, but as a kid my own notion of parental spankings certainly implied bare-bottom spankings. My parents (chiefly Dad) always spanked bare bottom, and for all I knew other kids were spanked the same way by their parents too, at least I knew my close friends were. I remember seeing occasionally an angry parent picking up a young kid from the playground and starting walking him towards their home, giving hand smacks on the seat of the shorts as they were walking away, but I was always sure that once they were home kid's shorts and underpants were coming down for a real spanking. This was just I guess a notion of how children got spanked.

I also remember when I was 12 I was in a summer camp, and there were about 20 boys in the dorm, and we usually used to talk and whisper about various things after lights out. One night a subject of spankings came up and somebody started a dare that everyone should tell about how they got spanked at home, so every boy in the dorm took turns talking about how he got it, although it sure was an embarrassing subject, and it turned out that out of about 20 boys only two did not get spanked, or at least so they told.

So spanking seemed to be a pretty common and usual punishment for boys those days. I know less about girls since spankings sure was not a subject boys would broach with girls, and my own household was boys-only, I did not have any sisters.

In our family spankings surely were not a "last-resort" punishment, but the punishment we boys (me and my younger brother) could expect for any sufficiently serious misbehavior.

I grew up in the 50s and 60s and spankings were very common in those days, although my parents used them only as a last resort. Air conditioning was not common in older houses at the time; windows were open in the late Spring through early Fall and one could often hear a spanking taking place in a neighbor's house. I don't remember corporal punishment in Elementary or High School, but in Junior High, the shop teacher made a new paddle every year and each student to whom it was applied had to sign it. At the end of the year he varnished it and hung it on the classroom wall. Both boys and girls felt that paddle, though it was always over clothes.

My own children grew up in the 70's and 80's and they were never spanked. Withholding the newest brand-name clothes and grounding on the weekends were enough to keep them in line .

Being born in the early 70s I can say in western Canada was very common. Now I had my last spanking in the late 80s from my father and it is true that they were not that frequent. However i did know of kids who likely getting it several times a month and remember in High school hearing about one girl who was still spanked by her father and while i thought it unusual my friends didn't. The school strap in the small elementary / junior high school i went to practiced CP but it was rare, most years it happened once or twice (with a school population about 100 you knew if something happened) till I left in the summer of 89. When I went to High School there was never even a hint of anyone ever being strapped. I do know of a friend who tells me that his principal (who likely shouldn't have been one), found reasons to strap students almost daily. And while not typical I can assure you spankings are happening still, I know my nieces and nephews are at least occasionally on the receiving end of them.

I was also born in the late 60s, so my childhood is the 70s and the beginning of the 80s. My mother punished me when I deserved it. It was nothing terrible, but then they made me fear and respect. Most of my friends were so punished by my parents.

The differences concerned only the types of offenses and the way of punishment. Parents often used the belt. Usually, the spanking children had bare butts. They were also usually put through the parent's knee.

Younger children told their friends about it, the older were ashamed. I was spanked up to the age of 15 (beginning of high school). Usually at this age, parents stopped applying corporal punishment to children, although there were exceptions. Two of my friends (girls) admitted that the spanking was applied to them while they were still in high school.

Catholic School in those God damn mean fucking nuns they'd line us all up in the hallway pull all our pants and paddle us in order

I grew up in France in the 1970s/early 1980s. Corporal punishment was less common than it used to be but spanking was commonly regarded as acceptable. There was for instance a popular song “Vaisselle cassée c'est la fessée, vaisselle cassée pan pan cucul” (about a kid who, by playing stupidly, broke his mom's crockery and gets spanked). In the early 1980s TV made a documentary on the sale of “martinets” (floggers) for use on kids, and it was clearly not regarded as abuse, merely as something a bit old-fashioned. A cousin of mine received the martinet, as well as some friends.

I heard of a family that at times spanked their children using stinging nettles, but this was considered inappropriate; though not to the point of calling social services or law enforcement.

I was born late 50s in the UK. From about 5 yrs old if I was naughty I went over my mother's knee and got spanked. Over time she would spank me wherever we were no matter who was there.

I graduated from high school in 1972. Paddling was used by principals and some teachers in elementary, junior high, and high school. I got one paddling in junior high from our principal. He called me into his office, bent me over a table, and applied a big wooden paddle to my fully clothed buttocks. As far as I can tell, paddling continued to be used often throughout the 70s and early 80s. It was banned in the state sometime in the 80s.

For me very common my mother had a board/ paddle that said applied psychology on it

I'm born in mid 1980 and i got paddle and Wood spoon on my bare ass.

I got about 15 or 20 strike.

I was at grammar school in the 70s and it was the pr teacher who dealt with punishments . If you forgot kit you had to go to his room and try on shorts until he found the tightest pair possible then made you bend over the horse to get the ‘dap’ in front of the class who new exactly what was going to happen.

@Oldguy1: “my mother had a board/ paddle that said applied psychology on it”

I've seen paddles with those cute sayings on them. I've wondered if they were actually used or were merely novelty souvenirs.

It was used in my case anyway and if mom was really pissed at me it was a bare bottom with the board

not pleasant at all got it on a wet butt one day ,, Ouch

@Oldguy1: “my mother had a board/ paddle that said applied psychology on it”

I've seen paddles with those cute sayings on them. I've wondered if they were actually used or were merely novelty souvenirs.

@CP_and_Enemas I think both @Oldguy1 and I can assure you they were absolutely used. My dad bought one at a souvenir shop on the Oregon coast in about 1969 or so, it said “The Heck with Psychology” and showed a dad paddling his son who was positioned over a barrel. That paddle was used on that very trip and both parents used it for several years on me; it hung on a hook inside the kitchen pantry door. “Dustin, go get the paddle" was a not uncommon command.

(btw I still have it)

The vast majority of the spankings I had from my parents were between 1970 and 1978.

Grew up in the 60s and the nuns beat the crap out of us in grammar school. Was occasionally spanked by my mom when necessary. Went to public high school where they were not allowed to touch any kid, but you got detentions and extra homework assignments if you gave them problems.

The hand spanking I got from my Father occurred back in 1974; and to this day because it was on the bare skin I can remember just how much it hurt! The hidings I got from my Mother were around the period, I think, 1979-81! The canings at school, 1980-81!

I was in first grade in 1959. I recall very clearly the teacher having a paddle in her desk drawer. It was one of those that originally had the rubber ball on a rubber string. In her case ball and rubber band removed. Funny, I only remember one student getting spanked. Also never could figure out what he did to warrant the spanking. But she’d go to her desk, pull out the paddle and go to his desk. He’d start to cry as she pulled down his pants and underwear for all to see and begin the paddling. I still remember his bottom turning red. I also remember a few of us playing around in bathroom, climbing the stalls and being confronted by band teacher who heard us and sent us back to classroom. Kind of wondered later how we didn’t get paddle.

We are the same age, I guess. Spanking was common at the time and even schools still spanked back then. I don't think they do now in the US, except maybe in the deep South.

I only remember one student getting spanked. Also never could figure out what he did to warrant the spanking.

I still remember his bottom turning red. I also remember a few of us playing around in bathroom, climbing the stalls and being confronted by band teacher who heard us and sent us back to classroom. Kind of wondered later how we didn’t get paddle.

Teacher favoritism was something that bugged me to no end.

And it went both ways: you might be a teacher's pet and never do any wrong in their eyes or conversely, for whatever reason you might be a teacher's object of scorn and get punished for any and every little thing, even for things you weren't responsible for.

I guess it was a good preparation for later life as an adult.

Teacher favoritism was something that bugged me to no end.

And it went both ways: you might be a teacher's pet and never do any wrong in their eyes or conversely, for whatever reason you might be a teacher's object of scorn and get punished for any and every little thing, even for things you weren't responsible for.

I guess it was a good preparation for later life as an adult.

That type of favoritism isn’t limited to schools. It happens in the workplace as well !

I was in first grade in 1959. I recall very clearly the teacher having a paddle in her desk drawer. It was one of those that originally had the rubber ball on a rubber string. In her case ball and rubber band removed. Funny, I only remember one student getting spanked. Also never could figure out what he did to warrant the spanking. But she’d go to her desk, pull out the paddle and go to his desk. He’d start to cry as she pulled down his pants and underwear for all to see and begin the paddling. I still remember his bottom turning red. I also remember a few of us playing around in bathroom, climbing the stalls and being confronted by band teacher who heard us and sent us back to classroom. Kind of wondered later how we didn’t get paddle.

Wow, cmntman! That may have been the only spanking you ever saw the teacher give; but what an experience! A bare bottom paddling in the classroom for all the class to see! You lucky boy! I wish I had witnissed something like that when I was at school!

I grew up in the 70's and it was entirely common. It was just how kids were disciplined. Even the parenting books of the time mostly are not anit-spanking - more along the lines “oh there's better ways”. I'm sure 90% or more of the kids I went to school with got spanked at least once.

I grew up in the 70's and it was entirely common. It was just how kids were disciplined. Even the parenting books of the time mostly are not anit-spanking - more along the lines “oh there's better ways”. I'm sure 90% or more of the kids I went to school with got spanked at least once.

As you say, drooaygah, different times!

I was born in the 70s and lived down south.

Spanking was pretty common - in fact, I would venture to say that it was expected. Sometimes, it was a community affair; if a kid got in trouble and his/her parent was not around, a neighbor might have done the spanking.

In one NC neighborhood where my babysitter lived, there were a lot of homes with kids. Everyone knew when So-and-so was in trouble, because his/her mom/dad/grandparent/etc., would send him/her outside to “pick a switch.” The kids always got together to go switch-hunting - this appeared to be as much a punishment as the actual ”whoopin’,” and there was always great discussion from all of the hunting kids about whether a switch should be long and thin, or thick. And “my [parent] belts me.”

We also had paddling in school.

I never earned a real one, because it was drilled into me that if I ever got in trouble at school, it would be double trouble when I got home. And I was even pretty mortified, at one school in Alabama, when it was my birthday and I had to stand up in front of class for my birthday spanking. Went like this:

• The class sang Happy Birthday
• Class calls out “how many lickins does ______ get?”
• ______ says his/her age, then bends over and puts hands on his/her knees or a desk
• The teacher “spanks“ as the class counts the licks
• Then everyone yells “and one to grow on,” and that one lick was a real one

Except for very rare occasion, if I did something warranting a spanking, my parents did not use paddling implements. So I grew out of my mom’s hand-spankings young; I don’t remember getting any from her after five years old or so. But my dad’s hand tanned my hide until I was a teenager or so - not often, mind you, I was a good kid and I feared the hand. His was heavy.

I was the eldest, so if my siblings were in my care and one of them got in trouble, I also got in trouble. We learned at a young age to behave, and did not deserve them often. In fact, when I got older, I remember spanking my little sister and we always discussed it was better I did it than Daddy (plus I was a kid, how bad could my bare hand on a clothed bottom have been?).

Unfortunately, though, because my brother was only five when I left home and I had spanked him several times when he was in my care, I learned later that his memories of me were few and involved my spanking him. Unintended consequences, to be sure; that may have contributed to the fact that we have no relationship now, and that saddens me.

Once, my beloved grandmother spanked me. I remember this vividly. She was visiting us in NC from Maryland and I was with her at the motel where she was staying. I guess I was about four or five at the time and of course she should have paid me more attention to me than the phone call she was on. So I gave her lip and, when she paid me no mind, I defiantly stood by the phone, put my finger over the button, and very dramatically pressed that hang-up button that the receiver would sit on (I remember it was a green phone, one with a rotary dial), sticking my tongue out at her. Hoo, boy, did I tick her off but good.

That was the only bare-bottomed spanking I ever got. I don’t remember it being too painful so much as shocking - my Grandma was spanking me! And she was crying too when she was done. Then she hugged me, told me I mustn’t do that again, that she did not have to tell my daddy if I promised to behave. And let me tell you, never again did I misbehave enough to earn another during any visit with her.

Grew up in the 70's as well. Bare bottom spanking by my mother only was the norm for my sister and I until we were about 15. Didn't matter who was present, discipline was at the time of the infraction. After about 8 it went from bare handed to a ¼ inch wooden pledge type paddle that hurt like hell. I remember clearly the humiliation pulling my pants down in front of friends or family, it didn't matter the gender of them. If the infraction was bad enough it included 5 minutes in the corner with pants still down so everyone could see her work. The one I remember vividly was getting spanked in front of a girlfriend in 8th grade, probably the most humiliating. Worse is we are still friends and she will bring it up jokingly. Probably the reason I have a spanking fetish, cfnm fetish and why I have a therapist as well 😂.

Bare bottom spanking by my mother only was the norm for my sister and I until we were about 15. (…) I remember clearly the humiliation pulling my pants down in front of friends or family, it didn't matter the gender of them. (…) The one I remember vividly was getting spanked in front of a girlfriend in 8th grade, probably the most humiliating. Worse is we are still friends and she will bring it up jokingly.

I sympathize with your spanking experiences. I've been spanked, but never in front of others. It was very embarrassing when my mother told others that I had been spanked. Many of my peers were also spanked without witnesses. There were those who were spanked in front of their siblings. Often it was the younger sister, which was very embarrassing for them.