Dear JTT: THee is right in the present day, about the rareity of voilence against children, as far as I have seen... but into the 1960's many Quaker families saw a difference between hitting a grownup and corporal punishment of children, oddly enough.

National statistics found, among Quaker families, back then, as much voilence, even violent abuse among Quakers as others. It is one of the positive changes... the spare the rod thing has been abandoned.

I also must say, I remember in the sixties my dad and the other niccotine addicted Quakers racing out the side door of the Meetinghouse to grab a smoke after having to go a whole hour without a ciggy.