In Texas, USA, there is a remarkable school run by a clergyman which has a reputation for taming wild young boys from a variety of backgrounds. The regime is based on severe corporal punishment and moral training and has a long waiting list of prospective pupils. The school takes boys from 12 to 16 years and parents who have used it swear by its effectiveness on their wayward sons.

When in Texas on school business recently, I was able to visit the school and talk to some of the boys and also witness a punishment session. As a Housemaster in a UK private school, I was able to make favourable comparisons between this school and my own, much to the Reverend headmaster's pleasure.

My first experience was an interview with three boys who had been there for some time. Karl was 15, a tall, thin half-caste, who had been there 2 years. Chuck was the youngest, at 13, and had been there only 6 months. He was a tiny, blond haired lad with very blue eyes. Mark had been here 18 months and was a plump 14yr old with mousy brown hair. They were all dressed in the school's Summer uniform of grey slacks, white shirt and red tie. The Head, the Reverend Bruce, had told the boys to answer all questions honestly and truthfully, which they agreed to do. He also told them to allow me to inspect any marks they might have, knowing full well that 2 of the lads had some to show!

Each boy fully agreed with the regime here, although they all said that at first they were rebellious and were not at all happy to be in such a strict environment. But they were now convinced that they were better boys and would be successful in later life as a result of their strict education. The boys then began to tell me of the punishment regime in use here.

Mark said that if a boy misbehaved, he was sent to the Head. After a discussion of his offence, he was given a "punishment chit", a white slip of paper on which was written his name, form and offence and the punishment to be given, so many strokes of the cane. This had to be given back to the Head after prayers next morning. The paper was quite deliberate and was intended to build up the boy's apprehension as punishment approached.

There were usually four or five boys lined up outside his study for punishment each morning and Chuck chipped in to say that the boys would have to report wearing their gym shorts and singlet so that they could easily be stripped for punishment if required - which it frequently was! He said that they were not allowed any underwear with the shorts.

I asked the three lads what then happened and they were very willing to give me full details. Karl described how each boy would be called into the Head's study in turn and would then cross into the punishment room, which adjoined the study. This was a simple room with a couple of chairs, a table with the punishment book on it, a tall cupboard containing the canes and a gym type horse in the middle, about 18" wide and 3ft long, with legs splayed out at each corner. Attached to the front legs were leather straps to secure the boy's wrists should it be necessary. Chuck said that for bare-bottomed punishments, it usually was necessary to be secured. He freely admitted that he couldn't take a severe thrashing without being secured and the other two boys agreed.

The Head asked for the chit, from which he wrote the details of offence and punishment in the punishment book, the poor boy watching in increasing trepidation at what was to follow. Chuck said that the Head then turned to the cane cupboard and opened it to display the selection of about 12 canes grouped into three weights and thicknesses. The Light canes were about 3/8" thick, the Medium about 1/2" thick and the Heavy about 5/8" thick. All were approximately 3ft long. The Head selected a cane, usually Light or Medium for the younger boys and Medium or Heavy for the older ones and swished it about, in front of the now trembling boy. Chuck said that it was really frightening at this point and the other two readily agreed with him. The Head then pointed to the horse with the cane and the boy was told to "Bend over!" Mark said that they had to bend across the side of the horse with the head and arms well down and feet almost off the ground so the victim was almost on tip toe with his feet about 2ft apart. This brought his bottom up into an almost perfect position for thrashing. The smaller boys, Chuck added, had a stool to stand on to achieve the right position. He said that the stool was very effective as he'd found out on several occasions!

Mark said that the school matron was always present at punishments and assisted by strapping the boy down if required, which was quite often the case with the younger boys and those undergoing a severe thrashing on their bare buttocks. The matron was asked to "Adjust his dress, please". She would then remove the boy's vest from his shorts, pushing it right up his back, leaving only his very thin punishment shorts tightly stretched over his well-bent bottom. Until this moment, Karl said, you didn't know if you were to get a bare-bottomed thrashing or not. The severity of the coming punishment was selected by the Head by choosing the thickness of the cane (thicker canes bruise more and the bruises hurt for a much longer time), the number of strokes (usually between 4 and 12) and whether you were caned across the seat of your drum tight shorts or on the bare bottom. If matron walked away, you knew you were being allowed to keep your shorts on and you always breathed a small sigh of relief, Mark said. If not, Chuck continued, you felt her fingers in the waistband of your shorts and then felt her slowly take them down as far as they would go, usually your thighs or knees. All three boys said that this slow baring of their bottoms was very embarrassing. The Head would then announce the number of strokes and take up his position to begin the thrashing and all three boys said that this was the most tense part of the proceedings. You were laying there very vulnerable with your bottom bared or covered only by thin gym shorts just waiting for that first agonising stroke of the chosen cane. Mark said that boys trembled freely at this point, holding their breath in dreadful anticipation of the first stroke. It was not long in coming as the Head stepped forward and then drew back his arm ready for the sudden "WHOOSH!" of the cane whistling through the air and that "THWACK!" of extreme pain as it bites your bottom.

Karl said that unless you had been caned hard yourself you just could not adequately describe the extreme pain from a stroke on your bottom, covered or not! It starts with a loud "THWACK!" as the cane hits your bum and for a second you feel absolutely nothing and then it starts - a searing white hot pain in a line across your bum and instantly the pain is so intense that it fills your entire inside, stomach, lungs so that you cannot bear that hot line across your bottom.

"You usually have to gasp in pain." said Mark.

Then after about 20-30 seconds, the pain settles down to a steady burning feeling. Mark continued by saying that this gap between strokes can affect the pain tremendously. Quick strokes, one after the other at 15-20 second intervals are unbearable. Thirty seconds is just about bearable and 45-60 seconds best of all. Mark had experienced each type of interval and fervently agreed that 45-60 seconds was about the right interval between strokes because you had a chance to settle down ready for the next searing stroke. Rev. Bruce usually waited 45-60 seconds, but did reduce the intervals if he wanted the punishment to be exemplary. Of course, Karl continued, you didn't know what interval he'd set and so you just had to lie there waiting for the next "SWOOSH! - THWACK!" of the next hard stroke and that red-hot pain again.

Mark said that the minimum was 4 strokes and the normal maximum was 12, this being as much as any boy could reasonably stand, particularly if it was with the heavy cane on the bare bottom. It took about 6 strokes to cover the entire bottom area and then the cane started to fall on already red, sore weals, which Mark said was really painful

"Agonising!" exclaimed little Chuck, his eyes shining as he described the sensation for me.

I asked the boys if the caned marked them badly. Karl just stood up and dropped his trousers and pants, then bent over, his bottom towards me.

"Look at these, Sir." he said "I got them five days ago and can just about sit down again!"

His thin 15yr old buttocks were marked with the unmistakable tram-line weals of the cane. I counted 8 thick weals almost parallel across his bottom, a darker colour which on a white bottom would have been red/purple but which in his case were a purple/black colour and certainly had been given hard. "I was insolent to the Head and got 8 with the medium on my bare bum. God, did it hurt!"

Karl said, after a while.

I asked how often each boy was caned.

"Too often!" grinned Karl, his trousers still at his ankles.

"Why, Mark here's just had 6 strokes this morning, haven't you, Mark?"

The 14yr old nodded as Karl went on

"C'mon, Mark, show Sir your bum so he can see what a fresh whacking is like!"

Mark stood up, turned round and then dropped his slacks, before turning up his shirt, revealing his tight white briefs. I could see the edges of two angry red cane weals on the parts of his buttocks not covered by his tight briefs and they were so ridged and raised that I could see several others through the thin, but not quite transparent material. The boy then gently eased his briefs down saying

"I've got to be careful here - my bum hurts like hell!"

He used that curious tone that boys use when their voice is just beginning to break and they are excited. Once his pants were round his thighs, the extent of damage to his bum was now apparent. His bottom was a mass of deep red & dark blue weals like tramlines, all parallel, and I could count six distinct lines amongst the redness and emerging bruising.

"I got 6 with the Heavy for swearing in the dorm last night."

Mark said.

"These will hurt for a week"

Mark continued, as he twisted his head around to talk to me.

"And then they'll take at least another week to fade away properly. Do you want to examine them, Sir, like Rev. Bruce does?"

"Very well." I said and then carefully ran my fingertips across the bruised flesh which was up in goosepimples all over. His bottom was still very hot and ridged all over - testament to the thrashing he'd received earlier that day. I commented that these marks were as good as my own boys at my school received. All three boys grinned and said they hoped my lads felt the same benefits they themselves did!

Rev. Bruce came in at that moment, eyes taking in the scene before him. Both Karl & Mark were still bare-bottomed and the Head seemed to admire his handiwork before looking straight at me.

"How do you rate our methods, Mr Thomas?" He asked.

"Very effective indeed, Reverend." I replied

"These boys are a credit to the school and the methods in use here.

"Thank you, Sir!" he said and then turned to Chuck and said

"Charles, go and get changed for punishment, please."

Chuck went pale, but bravely said,

"Yes, Reverend." and got up & walked out of the room.

"I have arranged to punish three of the boys, including Charles, at lunchtime to show you our methods." Rev. Bruce continued.

"I normally punish each morning, but have brought forward this session to give you a good idea of how we do things here!"

Mark and Karl in the meantime, pulled their trousers back up and then also left the room.

The Head and I went to his study where I was allowed to inspect the punishment book. He told me that the only reason a boy was allowed to retain his shorts was for modesty reasons and also to prevent the cane cutting his flesh - they certainly didn't stop the intense pain from being felt. He also told me that the three boys were being thrashed for a variety of offences. Young Chuck was being caned for being cheeky to his teacher, a frequent fault of his. His last punishment had been 8 with the Light cane on his bare bottom and so he was now to have a more serious thrashing with the heavy cane to see if that would reform him.

Fourteen Year old Kyle was another half-caste boy, who had been caught breaking bounds, his second offence in a week and was therefore to receive a severe thrashing. He was about the same size as Karl, but quite plump and his bottom was clearly large enough to take a good thrashing! The third offender was Andrew, a small, stocky 15yr old black haired lad who had kicked a teacher that morning, in a rage. Like Mark, he had been caned that morning, with the Medium cane, and was to receive another thrashing immediately for what was regarded as a very serious offence indeed.

A knock on the door announced that the three culprits had now arrived and Rev. Bruce ordered all three into his study. This was a departure from standard, he said, but he felt that as this was a special session for my benefit, he would spare the boys further embarrassment. Matron arrived at the same time and she went straight into the punishment room and unlocked the cane cupboard.

"Right! Charles, you are first!"

Boomed the Head and the pale faced little boy walked into the room and smiled weakly at me before standing before the desk where the head stood, writing in the punishment book. Rev. Bruce then walked over to the cane cupboard and selected one from the right hand group and as he flexed it in his hands I could see that it was a sturdy thick cane, obviously of the Heavy variety. Chuck gulped and went even more pale, but said nothing as he was ordered over the horse. Matron had already placed the footstool ready for him to stand on, which he did, feet apart as previously described. "Please adjust his clothing, Matron." The Head said. Chuck was by this time hanging across the horse like a rag doll as Matron removed the vest from his shorts before looking at Rev. Bruce, who shook his head. At least Chuck wasn't getting these strokes bare. The boy had his legs apart and was up on tiptoe, his trim little bottom very vulnerable and stretched taut for its coming punishment.

His tight little shorts covered most of his bottom, but they rode well up, exposing the very bottom of his cheeks, perhaps the most sensitive area of any boy's bottom. He gripped the legs of the horse very tightly indeed as he nervously awaited his thrashing.

The Head then looked at the boy and then thought for a moment before returning to the cane cupboard and selecting a Medium cane instead of the heavy. "You will receive 6 strokes with the Medium cane, Charles. Any future misbehaviour of this sort will result in the Heavy, across your bare buttocks." Chuck gave an audible sigh of relief and said

"Thank you, Sir!"

RRev. Bruce then stood at Chuck's left, just in front of the horse before raising the cane high above his head at arm's length before bringing it slashing down hard across the centre of the unfortunate boy's bottom. It whistled with a "SWOOSH!" and hit his bottom so hard I thought it would break. The "THWACK!" as it hit him was very loud and Chuck let out a gasp as the intense pain hit him. I could see a faint red line starting to show through the thin nylon shorts as the poor boy awaited the next fearful stroke. After nearly a full minute, Rev. Bruce raised his cane again and slashed it down hard, a little higher than the previous stroke. As it hit his bottom with another loud "CRACK!", Chuck gasped again and his bottom started to squirm on the horse. I was amazed that this small 13yr old could take such a severe thrashing - I knew my own boys in England would have been hard put to take what this lad was undergoing right now! One minute later, the cane was raised again and another "THWACK!" saw the 3rd stroke land on Chuck's tender bottom, even higher up, this time. There were three red weals showing through the thin gym shorts and Chuck was squirming his bottom around in obvious pain. The 4th stroke whistled down, just below the first, with another loud "THWACK!" Rev. Bruce was clearly an expert, laying each stroke exactly where he wanted, in parallel to previous ones, and Chuck was certainly feeling the benefit of this experience! He was now crying quietly which I thought was not surprising given the obvious severity of this thrashing! The 5th stroke was brought down on top of his thighs, below the hem of his shorts and he screamed out

"Oh, no!"

and burst into sobs of pain as this stroke quickly formed a nasty red-purple weal on the previously white flesh. After a full minute, the last stroke crashed down. This was probably the hardest of the lot and cut across the centre of his blazing backside, crossing diagonally the other weals. Chuck yelled out again and squirmed over the horse. Matron, on a signal from the head, then pulled down the sobbing boy's shorts. "Notice that the five cuts across his shorts are very prominent, but have not cut the skin." Rev. Bruce was saying "But number 5 has almost done so. This illustrates what I said about the value of a boy retaining shorts."

Chuck was then ordered to pull up his shorts and return to classes, which he did, still sobbing as he walked out of the door.

Kyle was the next to be called in and the same ritual was gone through, Rev. Bruce selecting another medium for the boy. Being a fairly tall boy for his age, Kyle didn't need the stool, which matron moved out of the way before the lad bent over. However, this time, the shorts were pulled down inside out by matron before she strapped his wrists to the stool. The lowered shorts revealed a plump, coffee-coloured bottom which had clearly been decorated by the head fairly recently. Kyle had received 8 cuts earlier that week, the head commented as he raised the cane well above his head, but hadn't learned his lesson yet. He hit Kyle so hard with that first stroke that I thought his skin must split. "THWACK!", right across the centre of the boy's tender buttocks, marked as they were from his previous dose. A dark purple weal sprang up on his tender coffee coloured flesh and Kyle gave a gasp as the pain hit him. His bare bottom was now all goosepimpled and the weal slowly swelled into a tramline furrow which compared favourably to anything I had raised on my own pupils bare bottoms back in UK. After about 45 seconds, "THWACK!" the second hit like a pistol shot above the 1st, leaving another tramline, the boy yelping in agony at this one. "THWACK!", "THWACK", down came numbers 3 and 4 in almost quick succession and after the 3rd, the boy's back arched and his legs moved further apart, raising his backside up as if to welcome stroke 4 of that cane, though this was not quite Kyle's intention! Kyle screamed in pain as that stroke landed on a previous weal, his burning bottom now covered with four fresh red and purple, throbbing weals, all parallel to each other across that shiny, goosepimpled flesh.

The previous 8 cuts were now beginning to show up as his bottom reddened. I was most impressed with the force Rev. Bruce was using to slash that cane across Kyle's bare flesh, bent over in front of him. "THWACK!, THWACK!, THWACK!", 5,6 & 7 landed at 45 second intervals as Kyle yelped and screamed at each one, wriggling his red hot bottom over the horse. His bottom was now covered in weals, with the last 2 landing across others. "THWACK!" Down came number 8 and the lad yelled blue murder as this one landed right across number 4, really increasing the thickness of that welt considerably.

The boy just lay there sobbing with his bare bottom covered in swollen, dark purple weals, twitching and squirming of its own accord. Weal no 4 was really enormous and showed signs of red blood, where the skin had been slightly broken. Kyle was then told to pull up his shorts and go to classes, which he did, very painfully indeed.

Then it was Andrew's turn and he walked in, looking pale but determined not to cry too soon though he must have known he had no chance of that since his backside was already sore from that morning's session.

"You will NOT attack my staff, young man!"

The head said menacingly.

"Your punishment will be 10 strokes and I am sure that, after your previous 6 this morning, you will find this thrashing extremely painful! Next time, you might just restrain yourself!"

He then motioned the unfortunate Andrew towards the horse whilst he went to the cane cupboard for a Heavy cane. As Andrew bent over the horse, Rev. Bruce swished an evil looking Heavy cane around, causing the lad to visibly shudder as he did so.

Matron pulled the boy's vest up his back then lowered his shorts well out of the way before fastening his wrists to the horse. It was about 3 hours since Andrew's last 6 of the best and his trembling bare bottom was already a mass of red & purple weals which stood out vividly against his bruised flesh. The thought of a further 10 strokes across that tender striped flesh filled me with awe and I'm sure Andrew was dreading the coming thrashing. Rev. Bruce, guessing my thoughts, said

"These boys must learn right from wrong, Mr Thomas. Andrew will certainly think twice about assaulting my staff next time!"

With his legs apart and bending over on tip toe, Andrew's bottom was just nicely stretched at the right height and angle to receive its thrashing, the flesh being tautly bent over the horse.

The Head then stepped back, raised the Heavy cane high in the air and brought it swishing down to slam right across the centre of his already red, bruised bottom. As it landed with a "SWOOSH- THWACK!" Andrew yelled out in pain and a thicker, darker red weal sprang up - typical of the Heavy cane, I was informed by Rev. Bruce. This thrashing was clearly going to be agony for the boy, who was already writhing in across the horse, unable to do anything about the searing pain in his tender backside.

SWOOSH-CRACK!, number 2 landed, lower this time, and Andrew screamed in agony as this one landed on top of one of his previous strokes. THWACK!, THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!, strokes 3 to 6 landed at 45 second intervals, some on top of the previous weals, others in between. Andrew just screamed at each stroke, his bottom getting redder & redder as it was covered in the thicker cane weals landing over the ones already there. THWACK!, THWACK!, strokes 7 and 8 landed on the top of the boy's thighs, just below the crease between buttocks and thighs - an extremely tender spot for any boy and his reaction was predictable. He screamed in agony, shouting

"No more, please, reverend. Don't cane me any more, I can't stand it! Please, Sir, Please!"

His protests were in vain, however, and stroke 9 landed with a THWACK! across his lower cheeks, cutting diagonally across two previous ones. A smear of blood appeared where this one had bisected the others and the rev. Bruce commented that he would feel that for about a month as he crashed number 10 diagonally across the 9th and, of course the two others. Again, a scream of pain and, again, smears of blood as the swollen welts crossed. Andrew's bottom was a swollen red and purple mess, distinct tramline furrows showing clearly the cut of each stroke. There were so many of them that I could hardly count all sixteen as he lay across the horse, sobbing his heart out. The right cheek was much more bruised where the tip of the cane had bitten into the soft flesh and left a swollen lump after each vicious stroke.

There was some slight bleeding where the skin had broken as the weals crossed each other and the 2nd stroke was extremely prominent where it had landed right on top of a previous one.

He eventually rose, still crying, and gently eased his shorts over his swollen, bruised and red striped bottom. As his shorts slipped into place, spots of blood showed in sharp contrast to the white nylon fabric and the swollen red weals were clearly visible on the bare flesh beneath the fabric and also on his thighs. His face was red & swollen from his agonised crying as he walked stiffly out of the office.

I told Rev. Bruce that I thought his punishments very severe indeed, but that I felt they were clearly effective. He smiled grimly and said he didn't think Andrew would offend like that again for some time to come, if ever, which was the whole point.

He said that, for some offences, boys were publicly flogged, being stripped and bent over in the hall, watched by all the others. They never got less than 12 with the heavy cane, juniors & seniors alike, and that was a really salutary experience for them and, again, boys rarely reoffended.