Paddle vs. Spanking — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 8, 2024
Paddling is a specific form of corporal punishment using a flat implement, while spanking is a broader term that may involve the hand or other tools to strike the buttocks.
Difference Between Paddle and Spanking
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Paddling involves the use of a paddle, which is typically a flat, wooden or plastic tool designed specifically for administering corporal punishment. It is often associated with formal settings like schools or disciplinary contexts. On the other hand, spanking is a more general term that encompasses hitting the buttocks with the hand or any suitable implement, including a paddle, but often implies a less formal or institutional context.
The intensity and implications of paddling are generally more severe due to the tool's design, which increases the force of impact. Whereas spanking, especially when done with the hand, can be less severe and is often used as a disciplinary measure in domestic settings, such as by parents with children.
In terms of legality, paddling has been banned in many educational systems around the world due to concerns over child welfare and effectiveness as a disciplinary measure. Spanking, however, remains a contentious and legally variable practice, with some regions considering it a legitimate parental right, while others view it as child abuse.
Paddling is a more ritualized form of punishment, often with specified procedures and tools, reflecting its institutional use. Spanking, being less formal, varies more in execution and context, ranging from impromptu discipline to more structured situations.
Comparison Chart
Tool Used
Specific (paddle)
Variable (hand, paddle, belt, etc.)
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Context
Formal, institutional
Informal, domestic, playful
Intensity
Generally higher due to the paddle’s design
Varies, often less intense with hand
Legal Status
Often banned in schools and other institutions
Legally variable, dependent on region
Connotation
Exclusively punitive
Punitive or playful, depending on context
Compare with Definitions
Paddle
Specifically designed for administering punishment.
The wooden paddle was crafted to ensure it was effective and durable.
Spanking
To strike the buttocks with the hand or a tool.
The mother spanked her child for running into the street.
Paddle
A flat tool used for corporal punishment.
The principal kept a paddle in his office for disciplinary purposes.
Spanking
Legality and acceptance vary widely.
Spanking remains a controversial topic in parenting debates.
Paddle
To hit with a paddle as a form of punishment.
The school's policy allowed teachers to paddle students for serious infractions.
Spanking
Involves a variety of implements.
He used a belt for spanking when no paddle was available.
Paddle
Requires a specific implement.
Paddling cannot be administered without the proper paddle.
Spanking
Can be used as a disciplinary measure or in playful contexts.
They gave each other a playful spanking as part of the game.
Paddle
Associated with formal punishment settings.
Paddling is a practice some schools still endorse for discipline.
Spanking
Spanking is a common form of corporal punishment involving the act of striking, with either the palm of the hand or an implement, the buttocks of a person to cause them physical pain. Although the term spanking broadly encompasses the use of either the hand or implement, the use of implements can also refer to the administration of more specific types of corporal punishment such as caning, paddling and slippering.
Paddle
A paddle is a tool used for pushing against liquids, either as a form of propulsion of a boat (paddling) or as an implement for mixing.
Spanking
(Informal) Exceptional of its kind; remarkable.
Paddle
A short pole with a broad blade at one or both ends, used without a rowlock to move a small boat or canoe through the water
We dug in deep with our paddles
Paddle strokes
Spanking
Swift and vigorous
A spanking pace.
Paddle
A flat array of solar cells projecting from a spacecraft.
Spanking
Brisk and fresh
A spanking breeze.
Paddle
A plastic-covered electrode used in cardiac stimulation.
Spanking
Used as an intensive
A spanking clean shirt.
Paddle
An act of walking with bare feet in shallow water
I went for a paddle
Spanking
A number of slaps on the buttocks delivered in rapid succession, as for punishment.
Paddle
Move through the water in a boat using a paddle or paddles
He was teaching trainees to paddle canoes
She paddled along the coast
Spanking
Present participle of spank
Paddle
Beat (someone) with a paddle as a punishment
Ask the mother if she minds the offspring getting paddled from time to time
Spanking
Fast and energetic.
A spanking pace
Paddle
Walk with bare feet in shallow water
The children paddled at the water's edge
Spanking
Brisk and fresh.
A spanking breeze
Paddle
An implement with a flat blade at one or both ends, held in the hands without an oarlock and passed through the water to propel a small boat such as a canoe.
Spanking
An intensifier.
Brand spanking new
A spanking good time
Spanking clean
Spanking white
Paddle
(Sports) A light wooden or plastic racket used in playing table tennis, platform tennis, and similar games.
Spanking
A form of physical punishment in which a beating is applied to the buttocks.
Domestic spanking is often endured over the knee (or lap), formal spanking rather applied over a contraption such as a tresle or A-frame, with or without constraints
Paddle
A flat board with a handle used to administer physical punishment.
Spanking
An incident of such punishment, or such physical act in a non-punitive context, such as a birthday spanking.
Paddle
A blade or shovellike implement used for stirring or mixing.
Spanking
Moving with a quick, lively pace, or capable of so doing; dashing.
Four spanking grays ready harnessed.
Paddle
(Medicine) A flat electrode that is part of a defibrillator and is put on a patient's chest to deliver an electric shock to the heart.
Spanking
Large; considerable.
Paddle
A board on a paddle wheel.
Spanking
Very; extremely; - used especially in the phrase spanking new or brand spanking new, meaning completely new and unused.
Paddle
A flipper or flattened appendage of certain animals.
Spanking
The act of slapping on the buttocks;
He gave the brat a good spanking
Paddle
(Botany) See pad1.
Spanking
Quick and energetic;
A brisk walk in the park
A lively gait
A merry chase
Traveling at a rattling rate
A snappy pace
A spanking breeze
Paddle
The act of paddling.
Paddle
To propel a watercraft with paddles or a paddle.
Paddle
To row slowly and gently.
Paddle
To move through water by means of repeated short strokes of the limbs.
Paddle
To propel (a watercraft) with paddles or a paddle.
Paddle
To convey in a watercraft propelled by paddles.
Paddle
To spank or beat with a paddle, especially as a punishment.
Paddle
To stir or shape (material) with a paddle.
Paddle
To dabble about in shallow water; splash gently with the hands or feet.
Paddle
To move with a waddling motion; toddle.
Paddle
A two-handed implement consisting of a shaft with one or two blades attached to the end(s) used to propel a canoe, kayak or a small boat. A paddle is unattached to the boat and freely operated with the hands, compared with an oar which is attached to the boat at a pivot point.
Paddle
A single-bladed version is typically used on canoes and some other small boats.
Paddle
A double-bladed version with blades at each end of the shaft is used for kayaking.
Paddle
The use of a paddle to propel a boat; a session of paddling.
We had a nice paddle this morning.
Paddle
A slat of a paddleboat's wheel.
Paddle
A paddlewheel.
Paddle
A blade of a waterwheel.
Paddle
A game controller with a round wheel used to control player movement along one axis of the video screen.
Paddle
(British) A meandering walk or dabble through shallow water, especially at the seaside.
Paddle
A kitchen utensil shaped like a paddle and used for mixing, beating etc.
Paddle
A broad, flat spanking implement.
The paddle practically ousted the British cane for spankings in the independent US.
Paddle
(ping pong) A broad, flat device used in striking the ball, analogous to a racket in tennis.
Paddle
A flat board with a number of holes or indentations, used to carry small alcoholic drinks such as shots.
Paddle
A flat limb of an aquatic animal, adapted for swimming.
A sea turtle's paddles make it swim almost as fast as land tortoises are slow.
Paddle
In a sluice, a panel that controls the flow of water.
Paddle
A handheld electrode used for defibrillation or cardioversion.
Paddle
(slang) A person's hand.
Paddle
(medicine) A flap of attached skin that has been cut away from a wound.
Paddle
Alternative form of padel
Paddle
(transitive) To propel something through water with a paddle, oar, hands, etc.
Paddle
(intransitive) To row a boat with less than one's full capacity.
Paddle
(transitive) To spank with a paddle.
Paddle
To pat or stroke amorously or gently.
Paddle
To tread upon; to trample.
Paddle
To walk or dabble playfully in shallow water, especially at the seaside.
Paddle
(intransitive) To dog paddle in water.
Paddle
To toddle.
Paddle
To toy or caress using hands or fingers.
Paddle
To use the hands or fingers in toying; to make caressing strokes.
Paddle
To dabble in water with hands or feet; to use a paddle, or something which serves as a paddle, in swimming, in paddling a boat, etc.
As the men were paddling for their lives.
While paddling ducks the standing lake desire.
Paddle
To pat or stroke amorously, or gently.
To be paddling palms and pinching fingers.
Paddle
To propel with, or as with, a paddle or paddles.
Paddle
To pad; to tread upon; to trample.
Paddle
To spank with a paddle or as if with a paddle; - usually as a disciplinary punishment of children.
Paddle
To mix (a viscous liquid) by stirring or beating with a paddle.
Paddle
An implement with a broad blade, which is used without a fixed fulcrum in propelling and steering canoes and boats.
Paddle
The broad part of a paddle, with which the stroke is made;
Thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon.
Paddle
One of the broad boards, or floats, at the circumference of a water wheel, or paddle wheel.
Paddle
A small gate in sluices or lock gates to admit or let off water; - also called clough.
Paddle
A paddle-shaped foot, as of the sea turtle.
Paddle
A paddle-shaped implement for stirring or mixing.
Paddle
See Paddle staff (b), below.
Paddle
Small wooden bat with a flat surface; used for hitting balls in various games
Paddle
A blade of a paddle wheel or water wheel
Paddle
An instrument of punishment consisting of a flat board
Paddle
A short light oar used without an oarlock to propel a canoe or small boat
Paddle
Propel with a paddle;
Paddle your own canoe
Paddle
Play in or as if in water, as of small children
Paddle
Swim like a dog in shallow water
Paddle
Walk unsteadily;
Small children toddle
Paddle
Give a spanking to; subject to a spanking
Paddle
Stir with a paddle
Common Curiosities
How has public opinion on paddling changed over the years?
Public opinion has shifted significantly against paddling, with many viewing it as an outdated and inappropriate method of discipline due to concerns about its effectiveness and morality.
Can spanking be done with an object other than the hand?
Yes, spanking can be administered with various objects like belts, brushes, or paddles, not just the hand.
Does spanking have any psychological effects on children?
Research suggests that spanking can have various psychological effects on children, including increased aggression, anxiety, and issues with trust and self-esteem.
Is a paddle always made of wood?
While wooden paddles are common, paddles can also be made from plastic, leather, or other materials depending on the setting and intended impact.
What are the typical reasons for using paddling as punishment?
Paddling is often used to enforce discipline, usually in more formal settings such as schools, as a deterrent to undesirable behaviors.
What alternatives to spanking and paddling are recommended by child psychologists?
Child psychologists often recommend non-physical methods of discipline, such as positive reinforcement, setting clear boundaries and expectations, and using time-outs or logical consequences.
Is there a cultural component to the acceptance of spanking and paddling?
Yes, cultural attitudes towards both practices vary widely. Some cultures accept and even endorse physical forms of discipline, while others strongly oppose them.
How do spanking and paddling fit into the global conversation on child rights?
These forms of discipline are increasingly scrutinized under the lens of child rights, with many advocating for their complete abolition to align with modern understandings of child welfare and human rights.
Can spanking be legally challenged in court?
Yes, spanking can be legally challenged, especially if it is deemed excessive or abusive, leading to legal action and potential changes in custody or criminal charges.
Are there any educational systems that still use paddling?
Yes, some educational systems, particularly in certain U.S. states, still permit paddling, though it is increasingly rare and often subject to strict regulations.
What are the long-term outcomes of using physical punishment like paddling and spanking?
Studies indicate that long-term outcomes can include an increased acceptance of violence, difficulties in relationships, and emotional health issues.
How do educators generally feel about the use of paddling in schools?
Many educators are opposed to the use of paddling, favoring non-physical methods of discipline that foster a safer and more supportive educational environment.
How do schools that ban paddling handle discipline?
Schools that ban paddling often use other forms of discipline like detention, suspension, counseling, or other behavioral interventions.
What are the main arguments used by proponents of paddling and spanking?
Proponents often argue that these methods are effective deterrents for undesirable behavior and are traditional practices that help maintain order and respect.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
