Belting is the use of belts made of strong materials (usually

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...

) as a

whip A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...

-like instrument for

corporal punishment A corporal punishment or a physical punishment is a punishment which is intended to cause physical pain to a person. When it is inflicted on Minor (law), minors, especially in home and school settings, its methods may include spanking or Padd ...

(see that article for generalities). Although also used in

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

al institutions as a disciplinary measure, it has most often been applied domestically by parents. This practice has now been abolished by most schools, at least in the

Western world The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to various nations and state (polity), states in Western Europe, Northern America, and Australasia; with some debate as to whether those in Eastern Europe and Latin America also const ...

, as it is seen by many as an abusive and excessive

punishment Punishment, commonly, is the imposition of an undesirable or unpleasant outcome upon an individual or group, meted out by an authority—in contexts ranging from child discipline to criminal law—as a deterrent to a particular action or beh ...

. The instigator might use their own belt (always at hand) or the one worn by the person to be punished. In other cases, especially in an institutional context, a separate belt is kept (e.g. in the head's office) solely for disciplinary use, and possibly displayed, again as a warning. 1930s Mr Bottomley Goes to Town illustration of spanking

1930s Mr Bottomley Goes to Town illustration of spanking

The difference with a

strapping Strapping, also known as bundling and banding, is the process of applying a strap to an item to combine, stabilize, hold, reinforce, or fasten it. A strap may also be referred to as ''strapping''. Strapping is most commonly used in the packagi ...

, although in practice both terms are also used unprecisely as synonyms, is that a strap is harder, made from heavier and/or thicker leather, and may be specially made for discipline and have a handle (notably a prison strap), unlike a 'real' belt. They can be used for beating children. The beating is usually administered to the bare

buttocks The buttocks (: buttock) are two rounded portions of the exterior anatomy of most mammals, located on the posterior of the pelvic region. In humans, the buttocks are located between the lower back and the perineum. They are composed of a lay ...

back The human back, also called the dorsum (: dorsa), is the large posterior area of the human body, rising from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck. It is the surface of the body opposite from the chest and the abdomen. The vertebral c ...

or both of the recipient who bends over furniture or the punisher's lap. A belt might be used to lash in three ways: *doubled by holding both ends in one hand, this halves its length (necessary in case of bending over knee or lap) but increases its effective thickness, both making it behave more like a strap. *single, while holding the buckle or wrapping that around the fist; its weight is reduced which results in uneven impact, the severity increasing towards the tip of the belt. *least common but most severe, holding the buckle-less end, so that the buckle can 'bite' the flesh particularly hard. In domestic discipline it was mainly used by fathers (or males who represent a father figure), while mothers rather used a slipper,

wooden spoon A wooden spoon is a Kitchen utensil, utensil commonly used in food preparation. In addition to its culinary uses, wooden spoons also feature in folk art and culture. History The word ''spoon'' derives from an ancient word meaning a chip of woo ...

or spatula. The term is also used figuratively for any beating in general, regardless of the implement (e.g. in Scotland, the

tawse The tawse, sometimes formerly spelled taws (the plural of Scots taw, a thong of a whip), is an implement used for corporal punishment. It was used for educational discipline, primarily in Scotland, but also in schools in a few English cities ...

, a forked type of strap, was frequently called the belt) or even absence thereof, also in the figurative sense, such as a defeat or other unpleasant, painful and/or humiliating (e.g. verbal) treatment, or even an impersonal misfortune that feels strongly painful, such as a financial loss. In

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

and other countries of the former USSR, belting has been a standard form of domestic corporal punishment of children. The punished child has usually laid flat on a sofa or bed while naked, or the children's neck or torso has been clutched between the punisher's legs. The belt has been implemented almost exclusively on bare buttocks, and sometimes on bare thighs. Some nervous parent could hit his or her child in the other parts of body, such as the bare genitals, but it has not been regarded as proper punishment and has been condemned by public opinion. Such persons could be prosecuted by law, while the law usually has not "noticed" "proper" domestic punishment, which has been also officially regarded as a form of child abuse. Today, the usage of corporal punishment of children in Russia, while still not effectively prohibited, is gradually declining just as it has in the Western world.

References

{{Reflist Belts (clothing) Corporal punishments Spanking implements Whipping