The progenitor of this thread was the activities of a certain instructor over here in the Shaky Isles. This gentleman dispensed punishment in what he thought was a culturally appropriate way... if you live in India! It doesn't work like that any more over here, of course, the PC stormtroopers having had their day. Not that I think it's a good thing to hit students, but because sometimes it is necessary to physically intervene with the odd individual. Sometimes it works, too.
For interest, this is the same gentleman that force-landed a Partenavia full of students after having run out of fuel... one wonders why the CAA didn't shut him down then... more on that
here