A spanking paddle is a usually wooden instrument with a long, flat face and narrow neck, so called because it is roughly shaped like the homonymous piece of sports equipment, but existing in more varied sizes and dimensions, (length, width and thickness) used to administer a spanking to the buttocks; it would be too hard and heavy to use safely on the back. Political cartoon from 1860 depicting Stephen A. Douglas receiving a traditional “over-the-knee” spanking from Columbia as Uncle Sam looks on approvingly. ...

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Types and terms

• A spanking paddle can sometimes be called shingle, apparently after its form, or be given names (rather like weapons in military and police units), especially when used in an organisation, that allude to its hot effect on the paddled posterior, such as ass-burner, butt-buster. Educators and children in households where a paddle is used for discipline sometimes award the paddle such nicknames also, such as "Lola's bane," "The 'Board' of Education," and "Mother's Little Helper." (Confusingly, sometimes non-wooden flat devices, such as leather straps, are wrongly called paddles, even in official institutions.)
• For a paddling various terms exist, some referring to wood, the usual material, such as giving wood, the woodshed treatment [from the rural tradition that such punishments were administered in such an annex], or more general terms for spanking (see in that article), for corporal punishment or for discipline such as punishment, a lesson, (rightly) deserved, (hide-)tanning, medicine, therapy, etc., and even incorrect terms that strictly speaking refer to a different method of physical punishment, such as a whipping; it is also possible to specify the anatomical target (thus indirectly affirming it is a form of spanking), e.g. arse whupping.
• The term fraternity paddle (its more recent counterpart is sorority paddle) was introduced for the instrument for hazing or punishment, which was often kept by an alumnus (e.g. to discipline his or her children) or deliberately analogous (e.g. in BDSM role play), especially if it carries Greek-organization markings. It is still commonly offered by pledges ("little Brothers" or -sisters) to their "big Brothers" or "big Sisters" as a gift. It is a symbol of their induction to the sorority or fraternity.
• Paddles are often made from (expensive but durable) hardwood, such as maple, oak, mahogany or walnut, and finished with varnish or teak oil; plastic causes less pain due to lower density, though some modern paddles are made of Lexan (fiberglass being too likely to break--allegedly that occasionally happens even to hardwood; of course the measurements are also relevant).
• Nevertheless some paddles are sometimes not factory-made but home-made or home-modified objects, e.g. a baseball bat with the action end flatted to half or less, as used on cadets in Columbia Military Academy; especially in domestic discipline (and in BDSM) various pervertibles are used, including the kitchen utensil cutting board (wooden and paddle-shaped)
• As a paddle is flat and inflexible, unlike a cane or whip, it is too blunt to cause stripes--only bruises can result from excessive force--, and because of its size it is unfit for a particularly painful 'bulls-eye' in the butt-crack (affording the spankee at least a modicum of protection).
• Generally the physical impact is therefore not greatly increased, only the humiliation, if administered bare-arse, except in the case of the holed paddle, which has holes drilled in it in order to make the surface unsmooth and reduce air resistance (since the 1930s US teacher Harold Spencer discovered this way to reduce the un-aerodynamic cushioning effect of air, the original, oblong model was known as Spencer paddle), which causes the victim to blister much faster (these holes may be beveled to reduce the chances of blistering).
• Furthermore a long model (including the handle) increases the leverage and hence the force applied on the punished skin. While a big blade looks frightening, it spreads the force over a larger surface, and so with equal weight it would hit less intensely. A narrow shape can be more cane-like, to concentrate all the force of one or several consecutive blows on a single buttock or parts of it, rather than across the entire behind, to cause more intense pain and worse bruising.
• On the other hand, if the damage allowed is limited, inflicting strokes less intensely allows prolonging the duration of the ordeal of the paddling, as to work over different parts of the butt; prolongation is also possible by pausing, which has the added effect of causing the victim to suffer further mentally (and ponder the offense being punished) while having to wait for the next painful installment.
• However the term paddle is sometimes used for devices of similar dimensions in other materials, often more flexible (even leather), which are therefore generally better called strap etcetera.
• As there is quite a market for paddles in regions where paddlings are still (or again) administered in hazing or education and in family households, as well as in erotic spanking, there are companies which cater for one or more of these markets, often in combination with other items (disciplinarian or not), for fraternity/sorority, home, and erotic use, but most of the terms and names these use are rather arbitrary. There are also various roadside and resort novelty shops that sell paddles (small and large); these are often decorated with humorous motifs and instructions such as "Board of Education," "Heat for the Seat," "How to Paddle Your Wife," and "Frontier Tail-blazer."
• Very similar, though usually not named paddle, can be the wooden 'sword' (often bamboo and usually flattened; otherwise it is rather a cane) used for corporal discipline, mainly on the buttocks, but also on the hands, in the Far East, such as the Japanese shinai (used to train fencing in martial arts), which is common practice in popular, expensive private 'after hours' schools (see [1]).
• Often a child is paddled while others, e.g. the siblings (who are thus deterred), are present so the child is further humiliated.

An Australian Hay Shed A shed is generally a modest structure, usually constructed of wood (hence the name woodshed) in a back garden or on an allotment, used for storage and as a workshop. ... Political cartoon from 1860 depicting Stephen A. Douglas receiving a traditional “over-the-knee” spanking from Columbia as Uncle Sam looks on approvingly. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Corporal punishment. ... Beech is a typical temperate zone hardwood For the record label, see Hardwood Records. ... Varnish is a transparent, hard, protective finish or film primarily used in wood finishing but also for other materials. ... Teak is used to make outdoor furniture, boats, and other things which require resistance to the elements. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Bundle of fiberglass Fiberglass or glassfibre is material made from extremely fine fibers of glass. ... Four historically significant baseball bats showcased in the National Baseball Hall of Fames traveling exhibit Baseball As America. ... A cadet is a future officer in the military. ... // A collar is a common symbol in BDSM. Female bottom in bondage with leather monoglove BDSM is any of a number of related patterns of human sexual behavior. ... Pervertible (frequently misspelt pervertable) is a term originally coined by David Stein to describe ordinary non-sexual objects, especially everyday household objects, that can be used sexually, particularly in BDSM play such as spanking (and thus also outside the BDSM scene). ... A wooden chopping board with a chefs knife. ... Look up cane in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... And distinguish from wip and WIP. A type of whip known as a riding crop The word whip describes two basic types of tools: A long stick-like device, usually slightly flexible, with a small bit of leather or cord, called a popper, on the end. ... See also: Nudity (disambiguation). ... Hazing is an often ritualistic test, which may constitute harassment, abuse or humiliation with requirements to perform meaningless tasks, sometimes as a way of initiation into a social group. ... Look up cane in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A Shinai made from Bamboo A shinai (Japanese: ) is a practice weapon used primarily in Kendo. ...

Scope of use

It is commonly used in the (mainly Southern and rural) United States as a method of spanking (see that article; i.e. physical punishment on the buttocks), called paddling after it (the corresponding verb is to paddle), especially on children by school educators. (see also cobbing) It is not infrequently found and used in homes to punish children. Political cartoon from 1860 depicting Stephen A. Douglas receiving a traditional “over-the-knee” spanking from Columbia as Uncle Sam looks on approvingly. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Corporal punishment. ... Cobbing may refer to: A building trades term for Kludge, derived from the implication that the work was done improperly, as if done with feet instead of hands. ...

Judicial punishment

Fiction often gives the impression that official corporal punishments (court sentences and additional prison discipline) were generally applied to the back and/or clothed, but in fact in many legal and cultural traditions the bare buttocks were and are more often beaten, even publicly, with a variety of instruments, whip- and multi thong-types as well as wooden implements, including the notorious cane, birch, but also flatter, solid ones that fit the description of a paddle (regardless what name is used, e.g. 'sword'), as shown on this CorPun photo from China circa 1900.^[2] And distinguish from wip and WIP. A type of whip known as a riding crop The word whip describes two basic types of tools: A long stick-like device, usually slightly flexible, with a small bit of leather or cord, called a popper, on the end. ... Look up cane in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Birching is corporal punishment with a birch rod, typically a spanking (i. ...

Social discipline

• Some school traditions enforce(d) rules by paddling offenders. In the University of Missouri until World War II,^[3], any freshman found on the 'quad', the most prestigious square on campus, had to offer his 'insolent' posterior for punishment along a paddle line formed by swatting seniors.
• Paddling is also a traditional -in many cases abandoned- method of hazing (see that article; nowadays mostly physically 'painless'), indeed the most common painful method, especially in Greek fraternities and sororities, both as a rite of passage and as internal punishment (rather rare; occasionally even for seniors breaking major rules), but in some even additionally in so-called paddle games, the rules of which are designed to determine when which pledge(s) must suffer a paddling or sometimes how many strokes of the paddle, usually received from the upperclassmen or one assigned pledge-master; sometimes, however, they were ordered to administer the paddle to each-other (winner to loser, trading licks or even in a chain-formation). Paddles can be carried ostentatiously as a symbol of disciplining authority even when no actual use is intended, small models even worn from the belt, or in sompe traditions the pledge is made to wear it as a reminder of submission to its use. Currently they are more commonly inscribed or branded with personal and/or fraternity/sorority symbols (often Greek initials) and or text, etc., and offered as gifts by pledges being admitted into membership to the official mentoring "big brother"/"big sister" in the fraternity or sorority as a symbolic relic. The ornamental use of paddles as personal trophies that may be displayed (e.g. in a fraternity/sorority house) or handed down as a memento or family heritage has given the paddle longevity. The ornate and expensive nature of such paddles reflects their use in real or faux discipline being far less likely in the modern Greek system, notably where legal or academic rules curbe hazing methods as abuse.

Hazing is an often ritualistic test, which may constitute harassment, abuse or humiliation with requirements to perform meaningless tasks, sometimes as a way of initiation into a social group. ... TRADING BLOWS, or Trading licks, or - blows, - shots, etc. ...

Other play and traditions

Of course the paddle is also a favorite implement for non-disciplinary spankings, as is often the case with paddle games (such as trading blows) or a paddle machine or spanking pyramid. A PADDLE GAME is a game involving the use of a paddle. ... TRADING BLOWS, or Trading licks, or - blows, etc. ... Spanking (or smacking, whacking, etc. ...

Paddling as academic Punishment in U. S. Schools

The paddle is the most popular implement in US schools that still allow spanking. Typically, with two or more administrators present, the student is told to bend over and receives the prescribed amount of hits (called licks, swats, pops or whacks) of the paddle, normally in an office, not publicly. In a single-gender school, the student may even be told to drop outer clothing and possibly underwear too, heightening the humiliation factor of having to receive the paddling dressed down or even bare bottom (nearly exclusively in private run schools, however). Most urban public school systems in the United States have banned spanking and all other forms of corporal punishments. However, there is a growing trend to restore paddling in some areas in recent years^{[citation needed]}. Some private schools still use corporal punishment. As of 2007, 23 states allow corporal punishment in schools and approximately 350,000 cases of physical punishment are reported in schools each year.^[1] Evidence suggests that in the United States, racial and sexual discrimination play a significant role in school corporal punishment, with black students being much more likely to be hit than white students, and male students being much more likely to be hit than female students, for the same infractions.^[2]

See also

• Spanking
• Corporal punishment
• Erotic spanking

Political cartoon from 1860 depicting Stephen A. Douglas receiving a traditional “over-the-knee” spanking from Columbia as Uncle Sam looks on approvingly. ... Corporal punishment is forced pain intended to change a persons behaviour or to punish them. ... Erotic spanking can sometimes go hand in hand with other paraphilia, such as for erotic clothes or erotic humiliation. ...

Sources and External link

• Further details of Knoppler Paddle and more
• CORporalPUNishment website index of topics, see Paddling
• Agony&Ecstasy