Its a shame that parents don't discipline their kids nowadays... I think that is part of the problem in society today as well. Kids can push their parents to the edge and get away with it because they know nothing will happen.
When I was growing up my mother would make us go out to the willow tree to get a branch off of it so she could tan the back end if we messed up... God forbid if you came back with one that was too small as she would give it to with that one and a bigger one she made you go back out there for!!
This was standard issue to a few principals in the schools around here where I grew up...and yes, they were used regularly!! Parents signed permission slips at the beginning of the year to give their consent.
I can remember when my 35yr old was about 3yrs old and we were out shopping in the mall and the one and only time in his life that he threw a fit because I told him he couldn't have something and he started screaming and crying, threw himself on the floor and was kicking everything around him, I proceeded to stand him up promptly and gave him a 3 or 4 swats across the back side and he stopped crying and started to act right. Then out of nowhere some lady comes up to me and tells me she ought to call the cops for beating my kid and I just looked at her and told her that if it were her kid I would've done the same, then she turned her nose up at me and scurried away in a huff... That was the last time my son "ever" made a scene like that in public ever again and if I had to I'd do the same thing today!!
In the 8th grade I got 91 swats (3 swats at a time +1) the 90 came from the middle school principal & 1 from a coach. Anyway this always tended to happen after lunch time,,, the class i had after lunch was algebra- that teacher was married to the high school principal. So I was always late to her class,, she wanted to know why,, I dunno Mr G thinks I did something. I just left it at that,,, she asked around then contacted my parents. My Dad got hot as hell,, asked me whats going on. I don't know he just believes I did this or that,,, ( I wasn't an angel but nothing serious,, I probably deserved 10 sets). So Dad goes to the school,,, & just like that the swats stopped,, he was to be contacted prior to me getting swats. ( Mr G swats weren't too bad,,, but that Coach nearly sent me to the moon- yeah we deserved that one)
So fast forward to next year,, highschool,, 9th grade & Mr C my highschool principal ( husband to last years algebra teacher). Every now &then I got called to his office,,, "you know you messed up" - yeah,, a not well thought out prank etc,,,, a little lecture,, I would straighten up,, no swats.. Mr C was well known for running a tight ship,. Yet he was loved & even came to our reunion. No swats in highschool,
I would joke Mr G knew my .... better than me,,, years later it came to light he seemed to create reasons to swat kids- I wasn't the only one
