Government urged to enforce a total ban on smacking of children
Psychiatrists point to the ‘detrimental effects’ of smacking
- Campaigners are renewing calls for a ban on smacking children in England, following similar legislation introduced in Wales and Scotland.
- A new poll by YouGov for the NSPCC reveals a significant increase in public opposition to physical punishment, with 82 per cent of young adults and 71 per cent of all adults deeming it unacceptable.
- Leading health experts, including psychiatrists and children's doctors, assert that decades of research demonstrate the “detrimental effects of physical punishment” on children.
- Children's commissioners and charities like Barnardo's and the NSPCC are urging the government to update the law, arguing that children deserve the same legal protection from assault as adults.
- Despite widespread calls for change, the Department for Education currently has no plans to legislate a ban, while some argue it could disproportionately affect parents.