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Two-thirds of S'pore parents caned their children: Report


Associated Press. April 11, 1999.

TWO-thirds of Singapore parents have punished their children by caning them, according to survey results published Sunday in a local newspaper.

Singapore grabbed world headlines for its use of caning as a criminal punishment in 1994, when authorities flogged US teen-ager Michael Fay for vandalism.

Many parents in the Southeast Asian nation believe the rod is an effective form of discipline, the report said.

Rattan canes used for swatting children are widely sold in Singapore. Sales are most brisk during school examinations, the newspaper said.

The survey questioned almost 400 parents with children ages 16 or younger.

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