For some deep history on this particular cultural expression, I highly recommend reading Albion's Seed. This cultural folkway of extreme supervision traces its

For some deep history on this particular cultural expression, I highly recommend reading Albion's Seed. This cultural folkway of extreme supervision traces its roots all the way back to the Puritans' child-rearing folkway: "breaking the will." It's no coincidence that the most egregious of these family harassment cases take place in Puritan colonies. I emphasize once more, for a very interesting and useful background on this and many other American cultural habits, read Albion's Seed. You will gain a very rich and deep understanding of modern American politics and regional-cultural values.