Offers an account of firsthand experiences with children from the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. Details how the children, who were taken to a Methodist Children's Home following release from the Davidian Compound, exhibited evidence of martial training, severe physical punishment, and sexual abuse. Narrates the children's rapid…

Outlines the history of punishment, focusing on the European tradition of obedience versus respect. Discusses reformers in child rearing, such as Maria Montessori, Karl Wilker, and Janusz Korczak, and looks at punishment and thinking errors in angry kids and in angry adults. Supplies a synopsis for conditions leading to effective punishment. (RJM)

Reports on interventions with gangs of youth in Northern Ireland beyond the control of authorities. Recounts how physical abuse or banishment have proven ineffective in curtailing delinquency and offers a case study to exemplify this point. Details the powerlessness of punishment, advocating high expectations and communication over coercion. (RJM)

Examines the lessons taught by physical punishment in education and childbearing. Discusses education and religious beliefs that have long supported corporal punishment. Details the lessons instilled by spanking, the historical myth that spanking was practiced by all ancestors, and some alternatives to spanking, such as hugs. (RJM)