Paw (punishment)
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Paws represent a form of corporal punishment that was mainly used in school lessons. It involves beating the palms of the person to be punished.
Historical
Even in ancient Rome it was customary to punish students in private schools by lashing the hand they hold .
practice
When schools were founded in northern Europe in the Middle Ages, this was incorporated into the canon of school penalties. For striking, willow or hazelnut sticks ("paw sticks "), rulers and later also the cane were used . The target of the blows was the palm or fingers. Knocks on the fingertips were considered particularly uncomfortable and painful.
“Giving paws” was an alternative to the usual punishment with a stick on the buttocks and was used particularly with girls. Depending on the severity of the offense, two to five blows were usually given. However, there was no specified limit and no controls whatsoever on the part of the school management. So it sometimes happened that after a large number of paws the hand swelled considerably and the student in question could no longer write correctly for several hours. Since in the past writing was only allowed with the right hand, the paws were therefore preferred on the left.
Sometimes the “giving of a paw” was also accompanied by other punishments such as B. previous or subsequent standing in the corner combined. If the paw stick was dried out or worn, it had to be replaced. This was partly the responsibility of the students themselves, who had to provide for supplies in the great outdoors.
Application
First, the student to be punished was quoted up front. The blows were then made to the hand held at about hip height, generally with the inside facing up. Depending on the punishment device used, the traces were sometimes visible for several days. In rarer cases, however, the blows were also made on the outer surface of the hand, which was particularly painful and could result in injuries.
Educational background
The "Paw Enter" served as corporal punishment for offenses of various kinds. A special educational effect was seen in that the punished by the "voluntary" Present hand the punishment had to allow. The necessary, voluntary suppression of an innate protective reflex should strengthen willpower and self-discipline. It also allowed the teacher to show their undisputed authority.
Anyone who withdrew their hand in anticipation of the impending pain had to expect increased penalties (e.g. additional blows). There was a risk of serious injury if the person to be punished spontaneously clenched his hand into a fist. Rings and other jewelry had to be removed for safety reasons before the punishment.
Prohibition
Since the ban on corporal punishment by the state school regulations in the 1970s, "pawing" has been a thing of the past in the Federal Republic of Germany . Corporal punishment at school was deeply rooted in people's minds. The Bavarian Supreme Regional Court ruled in 1979 that the new school ordinances "could not override the customary punishment for teachers". Corporal punishment was not officially abolished in Bavarian schools until 1980.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ The cane rules with everyone else! ( Memento from November 27, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ DER SPIEGEL 18/1979 - Sense of Progress. Spiegel Online, April 30, 1979, accessed December 15, 2012 .