Smacking 'should be completely banned': Child health chiefs demand end of ... trends now
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Laws must be changed to ensure smacking a child is not seen as acceptable in any circumstances, a landmark report demands.
The current law in England and Northern Ireland has created 'grey areas' which mean there is sometimes a defence to physical punishment, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) says.
Wales made any type of corporal punishment, including smacking, hitting, slapping and shaking, illegal in March 2022, while Scotland had already introduced a similar ban in November 2020.
The RCPCH is now calling for the policy to be adopted across the UK, arguing amendments to remove the 'reasonable punishment' defence from the Children Act 2004 for England and the Law Reform Order 2006 for Northern Ireland are 'long overdue'.
Its report on the issue argues that, ahead of a general election, this is a time for all political parties to 'make meaningful commitments on this important children's rights issue'.
The current law in England and Northern Ireland has created 'grey areas' which mean there is sometimes a defence to physical punishment, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) says. Stock
It warns that children who experience physical punishment are nearly three times as likely to develop poorer mental health and are more than twice as likely to experience serious physical assault and abuse.
Physical punishment also increases the likelihood of behavioural problems in childhood, poorer relationships with parents and family, and instances of aggression later in life.
Internationally, 65 states have full prohibition of physical punishment of children and 27 more
