My Great Grandpa used to make his wife whip the children with a whip, while he watched, drunk probably, but if she "spared the lash" he would then inturn whip her in such manner. I know from this my Grandpa (last names omitted) would come home from "fox hunting" and want to whip the kids because "they needed a good whipping". My grandma took many a beating because she stopped him. My parent inturn started with strict harsh punishments until the other parent said that is enough. I'm talking whippings with a coffe pot cord. Man that hurt,,,,LOL. Probably deserved it too.

But it was passed down generation to generation. The interfereing parent stopped it from going on down to me and my brother. But had that parent not been the stronger it very well could have and I'd have pass it down to mine.

My point? It had to have started somewhere,,,,