Caning is a form of punishment that involves beating a person with a cane, usually made of rattan. Each blow of the cane is called a "cut" or a "stroke". It is most often applied to the hands or buttocks. Caning, as a form of corporal punishment, is prohibited under international law as a form of torture. Caning was banned in British public schools only a few years ago. It is still practiced in places such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Brunei.