Interview 2

Me:Hi Z,
I see you go/went to Chamberlain Hunt. I'm doing a dissertation on corporal punishment (paddling) in schools and I was wondering if you'd be willing to answer a series of questions for my survey.

All the best,
B

Z: Yeah i would be happy to just get in touch with me, that's the whole reason i never finished my term at Chamberlain-Hunt.

Me:Hi Z,
Thanks for your quick reply and your willingness to participate in my survey. Can I ask what you mean by "the reason you never finished your term at Chamberlain Hunt? I'd be interested in hearing about that if its relevant.

Here's is the standard message I send to everyone taking my survey:

I'm doing a research paper that requires a survey. I figured that it would be possible to get a wider geographical target area by conducting the survey online. I have done research into schools that still employ corporal punishment (paddling) and that is how I found you on Facebook. I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions. Any answers given will remain anonymous. Please fill out answers as truthfully and completely as possible. If you are unsure about a question, feel free to skip it or ask for clarification. Please number your answers 1-20 to correspond to the following questions. (For the purposes of this survey, "corporal punishment" shall be interpreted as "spanking or paddling of the buttocks with the hand or an implement".)

From this point on, I will intersperse Z's answers to my survey questions:

1. Did you receive corporal punishment whilst growing up?
yes

2. If so, do you feel that corporal punishment worked for you? What sort of effects, if any, did it have on your behavior?
I thought it was acceptable while i was growing up because it was needed.

3. Do you feel that corporal punishment was the best punitive option for you, or might other forms of punishment have worked better?
At Chamberlain hunt they used every form of punishment that i could think of and the worst was the corporal punishment.

4. How frequently did you experience corporal punishment at home or at school (rarely, monthly, weekly, etc.)?
At the age i attended CHA i didnt receive corporal punishment at home only at school and it was for every little incident including sleeping in class because we were out all night long doing PT.

5. Under what circumstances was corporal punishment administered? (For all offences, only major offences, etc.)
All offenses.

6. Do you feel that embarrassment or humiliation played a part in these punishments? Or was it strictly the infliction of pain?
Both.

7. Did you feel fear toward those who administered the punishments (before, during, after, always, etc.)
No other types of aggression.

8. Where did you receive corporal punishment (at home, school, etc.) Do you feel that it was appropriate in these locations?
Not at school i thought it was rediculous.

9. On what portion(s) of your anatomy was corporal punishment administered? Was clothing removed or left in place during punishments? If clothing was removed, did you feel that this was appropriate?
Only the behind but often got struck in the legs or in the lower back.

10. What implements (if any) were used? (Paddle, belt, etc.) Did you feel that these were appropriate?
A serious heavy-duty paddle.

11. What positions were you required to adopt for the punishment (over a knee, bent over, etc.)? Did you feel that this position was appropriate?
You were required to hold on to some handles on a door frame and if you were to let go they would start over. Absolutely not.

12. From whom did you receive corporal punishment? (Parents, teachers, etc.)
Administrators.

13. Did you ever feel that punishments were abusive or inappropriate?
Yes.

14. Would you use corporal punishment on your children or encourage others to use it on them?
Yes as they are growing up and at a younger age but not as severe as i received.

15. Between what ages did you receive corporal punishment? Did you receive it more so at certain ages? Did the degree or style of punishment alter with age?
When I was a younger child but not as much when i got older until i attended CHA and it was nothing like I had received as a child.

16. Did punishments ever result in marks (redness, welts, stripes, bruises, etc.)?
Yes.

17. How many swats/strokes/slaps did you generally receive? Did it vary based on the offence?
It did vary but it was just usually 3 licks and 50 push-ups.

18. Did others witness your punishments or were they kept private? Were others aware of your punishments (as in able to hear them taking place or hear about them through word of mouth)? Was it appropriate that others saw/heard/knew about these punishments?
Another faculty member was present.

19. Did you witness/hear about others being punished? Did you feel it was appropriate, if so? How did you find out about others' punishments?
I usually heard about it straight from that person.

20. Any additional comments or beliefs that are relevant.
No response.

Me: Hi Z,
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer these questions. I will definitely be able to use your input.

Can you explain the reason that you didn't finish your last term due to paddling?

Also, there's a few sub-questions that you missed. Would be able to say how often you got corporal punishment at school (rarely, monthly, weekly, etc.)? Also, did they make you remove clothing (drop pants or underwear) or paddle over clothes?

As always, thanks for your responses. They are very helpful.

Z: weekly but i didn't finish because i got tired of the corporal punishment and they took it to far so they had to call my mother to come get me.

Me: Did you refuse to let them paddle you, so you were expelled?

Was it giving on your bare behind or over clothes?

Z: Yes. it was over clothes.

Me: Hi Z,
Thanks, as ever, for your clarification.

Since it was over clothes, did you, or anybody else ever try "stuffing"? Extra pairs of underwear or a towel down the back of your pants?

How much notice did, if any, did you get before a paddling?

Z: Yes it was normally tried but they usually got caught.

Me: I've heard of people getting extra licks for trying to "stuff". Did that happen at CHA?

I've also heard that at some places, if you try to "stuff" and get caught they let the punishment fit the crime and paddle on the bare butt.

Z: No i just took my bullcrap punishment like a man but when i was gettin licks for falling asleep in class because they had us out so late i just got tired of it. The guys that were running the school at the time just went way to far across the line.

Me: Someone else told me that the experience of getting licks depended a lot on which colonel was giving them and the mood he was in. Do you think that is the case?

Z: Yeah I guess you could say that I could always tell if they were having a bad day which was pretty much every day.