Corporal punishment

Corporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain intended as correction or punishment. Historically speaking most punishments, whether in judicial, domestic or educational settings were corporal in basis. The practice is generally held to differ from torture in that it is applied for disciplinary reasons and is therefore intended to be limited, rather than intended to totally destroy the will of the victim. Severe or prolonged forms of corporal punishment are, however, more or less indistinguishable from torture.

Corporal punishment in history

Whilst the early history of corporal punishment is unclear, the practice was certainly present in classical civilisations, being used in Greece, Rome, Egypt and Israel, used for both judicial and educational discipline. Practices varied greatly, though scourging and beating with sticks were both common. Some states gained a reputation for using such punishments cruelly; Sparta, in particular, used frequent and heavy punishment as part of a disciplinary regime designed to build willpower and bodily strength. Although the Spartan example was unusual, corporal punishment was possibly the most common type of minor punishment.

Related Topics:
Greece - Rome - Egypt - Israel - Sparta

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These approaches to corporal punishment were continued into Medieval Europe. This was encouraged by attitudes of the medieval church towards the human body, with flagellation being a common means of encouraging self-discipline. In particular this had an influence on corporal punishment in schools as educational establishments were closely attached to the church during this period. Nevertheless, corporal punishment was not used uncritically; as early as the eleventh century St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury was speaking out against what was seen as the cruel treatment of children.

Related Topics:
Medieval Europe - Medieval church - Flagellation - St. Anselm - Archbishop of Canterbury

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From the sixteenth century onwards, new trends were seen in corporal punishment. Judicial punishments were increasingly made into public spectacles, with the heavy public beatings of criminals intended as a deterrant to others. Meanwhile, early writers on education, such as Roger Ascham, frequently complained of the arbitrary manner in which children were punished. Probably the most influential writer on the subject was the English philosopher John Locke, whose Some Thoughts Concerning Education explicitly criticised the manner in which corporal punishment was central to education. Locke's work was highly influential and when Poland banned corporal punishment from its schools in 1783, Some Thoughts Concerning Education was said to have influenced the legislators.

Related Topics:
Sixteenth century - Roger Ascham - John Locke - Poland

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Since the 18th century, corporal punishment has tended to be gradually replaced by fines for lesser crimes and incarceration for those considered a danger to society, as the emphasis of criminal punishment has shifted from retribution and spectacle to reformation and surveillance. Corporal punishment proved most persistent as a punishment for violation of prison rules, as a military field punishment, and in schools.

Related Topics:
Prison - Schools

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Examples of corporal punishment from the Enlightenment onwards have tended to emphasise the administration of a set amount of pain by measurable procedures.

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