Bad caning follows, initially loud and piercing (7)
I believe the answer is:
lancing
'piercing' is the definition.
(lancing is a kind of piercing)
'bad caning follows initially loud' is the wordplay.
'bad' indicates an anagram.
'follows' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'initially' indicates taking the first letters.
The first letter of 'loud' is 'l'.
'caning' with letters rearranged gives 'ancing'.
'ancing' after 'l' is 'LANCING'.
'and' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for lancing that I've seen before include "Surgery" , "public school" , "school in Britain?" , "Opening in theatre" , "Cutting" .)