Theos-Talk Archives (August 2004 Message tt00643)

Katinka Hesselink wrote:
> Teaching boys to masturbate in schools was standard operating
> procedure in the 1920's in English schools? Is that what you are
> saying? I'd like some proof on that, or some reference...
Actually, it kind of went by the wayside around WWI, when the entire 
school system started getting reformed in light of the growing 
importance of science and technology. Unfortunately, it was not really 
"talked about", and references are few, far between, and often veiled in 
euphemisms (which means it's hard to search for specific ones). I first 
learned about it when I read TOM BROWN'S SCHOOL DAYS years ago, came 
across the word "fagging", and did some research on it. But this was 
from my college library, and I don't recall the books in which I read 
it. I will have to do some additional research; in my initial research, 
I have only found veiled references.