What's mild? What's severe?

What do you consider a mild spanking? Severe spanking?

As an author, it's interesting to see the range of responses to a story where the commenters differ so widely in their opinions on the severity of the spanking.

In one particular case where I wrote about a belt whipping, several comments were like "OMG that's way over the top abusive!" and others said "Meh, he deserved worse than those little pats, that whiny brat" (I'm lookin' at you, CK...). So was it mild, moderate, severe? I dunno anymore! In my own opinion it was severe, but apparently not to everyone.

When I read stories, I find that the psychological aspects have more to do with whether I consider a spanking mild or severe, than the physical pain does. If a spanking is ridiculously physically demanding, but the spankee is still cheerful at the end of it, that doesn't feel like severe to me, no matter what they got. But if they're a puddle on the floor at the end and a candidate for PTSD therapy, that's severe even if they're sitting down fine right after.

What's your Richter scale for spankings?

I agree with you that severity is largely judged by the spankee's reaction. It also depends on context -- who is being spanked (adult, teen or child; experienced or not; etc.)

I thought the belt whipping you wrote about was severe. Deliciously so, and the "kid" deserved it in his way, though I also think that relationship is emotionally abusive.

It's all in the mind of the reader. I too, have been stunned at the various reactions to the severity of a spanking, some thinking it too harsh, others relishing the same thing. We will NEVER please everyone and must not try, or we will end up in bedlam!
I agree that the spankee's reaction has a lot to do with how it is received by the reader, I abhor a story where a child is spanked severely with an implement, I don't believe it's necessary, but then, I don't choose to read about 'children', I prefer teens and adults.
We are all so different, and sometimes I will read a story that disturbs me in a way, but I have a strange fascination by it. I love to hate or hate to love some stories that I feel are 'wrong' on one level, but hit the buttons often in an unexpected way. That is why there is such a lot of content here, something for everyone and each will decide for themselves what they enjoy. So, keep reading, keep writing and don't worry too much about diversity, as it's prolific.

I agree with everything said so far.

A severe spanking IMO leaves the recipient bawling tearfully afterwards - regardless of the length and implement/s used. That also takes care of the age of the spankee - a hand spanking for a child would result in him/her bawling which an adult spankee could take much more to reach the bawling state.

Though having said that, many people (the macho male in particular) try to remain stoic and not cry even after a severe beating. So I suppose the state of the spankee's bottom need to be considered as well.

Sigh, so complicated.

Oh I know! Whatever 'floats your boat' is right for YOU and let everyone else choose their own 'boat'!

Severity is measured in my opinion on the psychological impact upon the recipient.

I am not a author, however i see it as whatever level of spanking is written about is the level the author wishes to present, as the name of the site says it is spanking fiction.

The situation in my opinion is summed up in Elorac and medicis fine quotes:


Just viewing it from a historical perspective, a mild spanking of several generations ago might well be viewed as severe now, culturally what happens as a norm regarding corporal punishment in some cultures/countries, is viewed as severe in UK.

A author writing a story in manner they see fit (within LSF guidelines), is going to read better, than one which is being toned down or up regarding severity to please others.

Ahhhh well, cyber-cousin, I'll point out that...

[1] My comments on your story "The Exception" were about each part in turn, thus when the male protagonist's discipline did indeed finally turn pretty severe in Part #5, I described it as being such in my commentary--when it struck me as rather mild, in Parts #2 & 4, I stated that in my comments following those specific parts. (Overall I'd consider the student's spanking to have been suitably severe, which I'll mention once I post my commentary on Part #6--sorry I haven't done so yet.)

[2] My analysis of the severity of the young man's corporal correction closely paralleled that of his female disciplinarian in the story, during Parts #2 & 4 she remarked that thus far he had been given quite a moderate punishment, then in Part #5 she seriously 'ratcheted it up' just as she'd stated she intended to. (I'm figuring that she was merely toying with her victim psychologically during the earlier relatively 'soft' parts of his chastisement.)

I'll agree that a spanking's relative level of severity is to a great degree dependent on how suited its recipient is to undergo such a tanning, both physically and psychologically. (In the case of "The Exception," the spankee was a collegiate athlete yet he had only been spanked infrequently and mildly during his young childhood, so possibly his spanker started out slowly to get him mentally reacquainted with the reality of being disciplined in that manner.)

The corporal corrections my characters receive are sometimes criticized as being "overly severe," although I generally have those strenuous spanking sessions undergone by characters who are both physically and psychologically capable of enduring them without any permanent negative effects.

"Describe the level of corrective severity which you're personally satisfied with, yet in general (unless such disparity is an element of the account's plotline) attempt to match that with the spanked character's ability to receive such corporal punishment."

That would be my suggestion to writers of spanking-oriented literature...

--C.K.

Ah, touché. You did indeed say all those things -- clearly I need to re-read my comments before I go spouting off on them and showcasing my poor reading comprehension

Cool that everyone seems to agree, though, that it's the psychology of the spankee and their ability to absorb the punishment in question that determines our assessment of its severity. Which would neatly explain why stories, as opposed to videos, offer their own special kind of satisfaction, over and above what you could get out of pictures or videos...

Write from your heart, right from the heart. Satisfy yourself. Nuff said.

For me, it's also a matter of the spanker's attitude and behaviour towards the spankee. A spanking delivered with anger, grimness or disappointment will be likely to have a greater psychological impact (and thus, often, a more severe physical impact) than one given in a playful/erotic way. Even though the latter may be just as long and hard, or even more so, than the former.

To me, too severe is a black-and-blue, dark crimson bottom with bleeding. I prefer embarrassment and humiliation to pain and find that the most effective parts of discipline cane occur when, for example, panties are lowered or someone is placed in the corner with their panties down.