I don't have enough plants yet to have switches for my kids in my yard...so I haven't done it.. But switching was almost always done on back of legs.... Yes it cause small welts and some blood. but it wasn't that bad . The bad part and the real punishment that I like is WE had to go pick the switch!.. That took time to reflect on the crime and if teh switch wasn't good enough...to brittle or too big, etc. we had to go back out and get another one. Only had a switch draw blood once though.. It was the getting of the switch that was teh punishment part that worked eh best..culminating in a switiching that was never as bad as teh thought of teh switching.