Yeah. They do still practice that shit. My very active JW sis has 3 boys. I haven't been around them in quite some time because I can't stand her threatening, coercive, bullying (and intermitten dissociative behavior also known as "zoning out," symptomatic of past abuse and/or borderline personality disorder!). If it's reported to authorities, they put on their "good Christian" hats and I become a great apostate "trouble-maker."
The JW grandparents still do the same old shit, too, and believe it or not, sister constantly fights with my mom over such "discipline," while she repeats the same exact lousy parenting "techniques" that were acted out on us: demanding silence and perfect behaviour at meetings and field service, favortism, unfavorable comparison, threats, spankings, zoning out and improperly supervising the kids. (My sister and I got our stomachs pumped out a lot). It's absoulutely crazy-making for me. And sister's worried about the negative impact I might have on her kids (as an apostate). Crazy bitch, she is, just like our mom.
And the JW policies just reinforce all this: "spare the rod and spoil the child." Very unrealistic expectations most JWs have for their kids are enforced often violently. And that's a fact, jack. There are some who are more, and some who are less abusive than my own family, of course. I've seen it many times. As a teenager, shortly after I was disfellowshipped, I remember an elder in the congregation visiting our house and relating to my family how his youngest son, Jason, made the grave mistake of eating a birthday cake at a school party; even though Jason did not participate in the party, he was "whipped real good." G@ddd@mn jerks!
BTW, Jason eventually became a JW pioneer and elder. I'd bet money he treats his kids the same. Very sad.