Yes, my grandparents have described corporal punishment being a regular routine in their Catholic schools. I don't agree with the act of corporal punishment at all, and you bring up many good points about the trauma it causes. However, I know most public schools during the 50s and 60s (and earlier) did the same thing, as you mentioned--and it still happens in many countries. Perhaps its status as a cultural norm is what allowed it to go on for so long.