Having taken an interest in comparing different forms of school corporal punishment, I find many modern observations remarkably similar to conclusions reached decades ago. During the mid-1960s, I worked with a group of friends who carefully discussed and compared the various punishments that were common in schools at the time. It is therefore particularly interesting to see how many of those conclusions continue to be echoed by people reflecting on their own experiences.
When discussing the subject, it is important to recognise certain limitations. Any comparison should remain reasonably close to what schoolchildren actually experienced during the period when corporal punishment was widely used. Exact comparisons are impossible because adults and children differ in size, maturity, and physical development. An eighteen-year-old or older adult can often tolerate more than a young child, yet many aspects of the experience remain surprisingly similar. As a result, meaningful comparisons can still be made, provided they are viewed within their historical context.
One commonly debated question is whether age significantly affects the level of pain experienced during a punishment. In my view, a school caning administered to an eighteen-year-old or even a twenty-five-year-old does not necessarily hurt less than one administered to a twelve-year-old. Equally, there is little reason to believe that the younger recipient experiences substantially greater physical pain simply because of age. The principal difference lies not in the sensation itself but in the individual’s mental and emotional response.
Adults generally possess greater emotional resilience and a stronger ability to anticipate and manage discomfort. They are also more likely to understand the circumstances that led to the punishment and, in some cases, may submit to it willingly. A child, by contrast, may find the experience more intimidating, frightening, or humiliating, even if the physical pain is not dramatically different. The psychological aspect therefore plays a major role in how the punishment is remembered and perceived.
Another frequently discussed issue concerns clothing and its effect on the severity of punishment. In the case of caning, receiving strokes on the bare buttocks is generally more painful than receiving them through underwear, shorts, or trousers. However, the difference is often less dramatic than many people assume. A flexible cane is capable of delivering considerable force through several layers of clothing, and therefore clothing offers only limited protection.
The type and fit of clothing can make some difference. Loose-fitting trousers may provide a small degree of cushioning, but once a person bends over into the traditional punishment position, the fabric is usually drawn tighter against the body, reducing its effectiveness. Some observers have even argued that very tight shorts or trousers can worsen the experience by allowing the force of the blow to be transmitted more directly to the skin beneath. While opinions vary, most agree that clothing alone does relatively little to prevent a cane from causing pain.
The same principle applies to slippering, although the effects can be more noticeable. Many people who experienced slippering believe that receiving it on bare skin makes a substantial difference compared with receiving it through clothing. The characteristics of the slipper itself also matter. A smooth, well-worn sole often creates a distinctive stinging or burning sensation because it grips the surface of the skin more effectively. In contrast, a newer or rougher sole may produce a different type of impact, relying more on force than friction.
An interesting aspect of the debate concerns familiarity and adaptation. The effectiveness of a particular implement may depend partly on what an individual has become accustomed to over time. Someone who has frequently experienced slippering may learn to tolerate it relatively well, while finding caning much harder to endure. Conversely, an individual accustomed to caning may discover that a severe slippering presents an entirely different challenge.
This suggests that there is no universally accepted answer to the question of which punishment hurts more. Experiences vary considerably from person to person. Some individuals report enduring very severe slipperings with relative composure yet struggling to withstand even a modest caning. Others describe exactly the opposite experience, claiming that they could tolerate substantial canings but found a few strokes of a plimsoll slipper exceptionally difficult to bear.
The explanation may lie in the different ways these implements inflict pain. A cane typically concentrates force into a narrow area, producing a sharp, intense sensation. A slipper, particularly a heavy plimsoll, spreads the force over a wider surface while creating a deep, stinging impact. Because the sensations are different, people often react differently depending on their previous experiences and individual pain tolerance.
Ultimately, discussions of historical school corporal punishment reveal that perceptions of severity are highly personal. Factors such as age, mental preparedness, clothing, familiarity with particular implements, and individual pain thresholds all influence how punishments are experienced and remembered. While people may disagree about whether the cane or the slipper was more severe, most would agree that neither instrument was easily dismissed, and both left a lasting impression on those who encountered them.
