JazzOctopus remarkedHow old were these children? I'd say the severity of the "child abuse" depends on the age of the children. In Shakespeare's time, men practically dressed like women anyway, and I think I can safely say that I know people my age would wear a dress to school just because they thought it was amusing

Ay, there's the rub, Jazz. What makes it abusive is the element of compulsion, as punishment. If someone wants to engage in a little cross-dressing, that's obviously very different from being forced to do so as an act of public humiliation.