Question

Hello.
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef left his mark in many areas. Unfortunately, he also had a few mishaps, like Deri and appointing associates to positions of power (perhaps not through his own fault).
One of the strange things he left behind is the culture of slaps on the cheek, and unfortunately this is turning into a full-fledged culture.
Almost every Haredi rabbi whose hand I shake gives me a slap. As a child I got slapped, and today ignoramuses hand out free slaps, and nobody says a word, until I rose up, bruised and groaning blood from the burden of all these slaps.
I haven’t received any satisfactory explanation, and it seems to me like an attempt to belittle the other side.
1. Is there any point or rationale to this custom?
2. Should it be abolished?
3. Is it permitted to hit back?