In 1917 alone no fewer than 5210 youths in Britain were birched by order of courts of summary jurisdiction. The
maximum number of strokes permitted for boys under the age of 14 was 12, but for those over 14 up to 36 strokes
could be inflicted. The birch used on juvenile offenders was slightly smaller than that used in prisons, having
an overall length of 40 inches, a 'circumference of spray at centre' of 6 inches, and a maximum weight of 9 ounces.
In 1938 the Cadogan Committee described this punishment as follows:
"The use of the term 'birch rod' appears to have given rise to misapprehension in some quarters; the birch
to be used for whippings is not a rod or cane but a bundle of birch twigs. The twigs are bound together at the
thick end to form a handle, and the remainder is left free so that the loose ends of the twigs form a spray, which
at the centre of the birch is about six inches in circumference. The birch may be soaked in water, not brine, before
use, not to make it more painful but simply to make it more supple and to prevent the twigs from breaking off during
use.
"The punishment is usually administered in a cell or private room, either within the precincts of the court or at a neighbouring police station. The birch is applied across the buttocks, on the bare flesh. The method most commonly used is to bend the boy over a low bench or table. His hands, and sometimes his feet, may be held by assisting parties. This method, though probably the most common, is not universal. In some cases a man takes the boy on his back, drawing the boy's hands over his shoulders; another constable holds the boy's feet, drawing his legs around the sides of the first man; the first constable then leans forward, and the birch is applied by a third. In some cases the boy is bent over and his head held between a man's knees, whilst a second administers the birch. In one district the boy is strapped to a triangle similar to the apparatus used in corporal punishment in prisons. In Scotland the boy is usually laid flat on a form, two police officers sitting astride the form at each end, one holding his elbows the other his feet, while a third administers the birching."
The following eye-witness account of a juvenile birching was published in the Pall Mall Gazette in 1887:
"The two boys were both found guilty of theft and sentenced to receive 12 strokes of the birch. The sentence
was to be carried out at 1pm, after the birch had been pickled for two hours. It consisted of a number of long
thin lashes tied to the end of a stick about 2 feet long. Each lash had a resemblance more to wire than wood. At
the appointed time the magistrates arrived to witness the punishment and the sobbing boys were brought in. A move
was made to the courtyard at the back of the gaol, a dull, bare piece of ground surrounded by high walls. In the
middle of the courtyard had been placed a bench, similar to a school form.
"Now then, down with your trousers, quick! " said one of the constables Although the two culprits obeyed the command their movements were not very rapid. One of the constables quickly unbuttoned one of the fellow's braces, and his trousers were pulled down so as to leave his buttocks bare. Almost with lightning rapidity he was placed on his stomach on the form. One constable at one end held his hands with an iron grasp and the other took the wretch's legs.
"The official who held the birch stepped forward both hands holding the rod, and with all his might and main
commenced to administer the punishment. The boy began the most piteous howling and yelling and red marks appeared
almost immediately across his buttocks. After three strokes his right buttock was like a piece of raw beef. After
the sixth stroke the constable moved round to the other side of the form and administered six hefty strokes across
the left buttock. The boy evinced the most unearthly yells and blood was immediately drawn. The constable took
pride in the fact that the culprit would not be able to sit down for quite a time."