well it is a matter of perspective. when we were younger and our parents hit us (mine did), i never thought it was unwarranted. I deserved what i got and i learnt from it
Nowadays since the generation has changed, the kids react very differently to being hit. they dont see it as a corrective method. instead they view it as coercive. that is because the kids of today do not seem to want to learn from their elders. they would rather learn from friends and the internet.
i agree with you on one score, the effectiveness of hitting children to punish their mistakes has reduced dramatically. in fact it has become an art form to get a child to listen and not many are good at that.
When they hit you you could see that you were guilty. But in fact, a lot of the times you weren't. You were just a kid learning about the world and its limits and should not have been punished for that. Many thanks for your comment.