The call to ban smacking seems to be having one of its periodic build-ups of momentum. Last Friday, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child urged the government to ban corporal punishment in the home in its latest report on the UK's compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

And today 28 MPs are pushing for an amendment to the Children and Young Persons Bill to ban smacking. Ahead of today's debate on the bill, the NSPCC published research showing a majority of adults believed smacking was cruel for children of all ages, with higher rates for parents.

However, it seems inconceivable that the current defence of "resonable chastisement" will be removed - children's secretary Ed Balls said he remained opposed to a ban at Labour's recent annual party conference.

Yet, perhaps the NSPCC survey suggests that in the not too distant future public opinion will force a change of approach from our MPs.

 

All a bit of a damp squib it seems - there was no vote on smacking yesterday.

Charity Action for Children has issued the following statement: 

“We are disappointed by the missed opportunity to address and debate the issue of smacking today. This topic is key to the wellbeing of children. Current rules on smacking children send out a very dangerous message on the acceptability of violence against children, which seriously damage efforts being made to ensure they are effectively protected."

Common sense prevailed again.

 The key word here is smacking, which is different to hitting and hitting has already been addressed.

I believe the really worrying story happened the day before with the claim that 1 /5 of teachers wanted to bring back corporal punishment.

With an attitude like that can they be trusted to be partners in the CP plan?

Where is the current legislation. I knew about the term 'reasonable punishment' but read on the NSPCC website that there is now a criteria of not leaving a mark. Is this in the updated Children Act or elsewhere?

Schroders Cat:

Common sense prevailed again.

 The key word here is smacking, which is different to hitting and hitting has already been addressed.

I believe the really worrying story happened the day before with the claim that 1 /5 of teachers wanted to bring back corporal punishment.

With an attitude like that can they be trusted to be partners in the CP plan?

Interesting point you make and very valid. I have experienced being hit at school during the 70's with hand as well as ruler. Did this effect me most certainly it did. I hated school I felt dridiculed by others because I cried when hit. Teachers do not need to resort to violence to earn respect or gain control of the classroom. The other point which is alongside this issue is that for some children who suffer violence at home school is their safety. To then have teachers promoting violence at school will take away that safety. I agreed what an attitude to bring to a CP plan. 

 

Only 1 in 5 teachers supported bringing back corporal punishment ? I personally believe the whole of society has suffered since corporal punsihment was outlawed. I got the belt at school and yes it was demoralising, it was humilliating and yes..it hurt like hell. But did I re offend? Damn right I didnt ! The trouble nowdays is nobody has any control over the behaviour of youngsters . Its not about compromising childrens safety. Its about punishment fior bad behaviour.No-one is suggesting violence be allowed to occur but a quick sharp shock never did anyone any harm.

Aren't pain, humiliation and demoralisation just a few of the things we're meant to be preventing. The trouble with saying it's ok to use corporal punishment is that it then becomes difficult to draw the line. Also how can you get the message across that violence (whether that be caning, rapping across the knuckles with a ruler or using a strap) doesn't solve anything, if you use it or threaten to use it on children in their formative years. 

anne_m123:

Only 1 in 5 teachers supported bringing back corporal punishment ? I personally believe the whole of society has suffered since corporal punsihment was outlawed. I got the belt at school and yes it was demoralising, it was humilliating and yes..it hurt like hell. But did I re offend? Damn right I didnt ! The trouble nowdays is nobody has any control over the behaviour of youngsters . Its not about compromising childrens safety. Its about punishment fior bad behaviour.No-one is suggesting violence be allowed to occur but a quick sharp shock never did anyone any harm.

Your comments in themself show that you were effected by the punishment as you are advocating for physical violence. To a child a smack is a big issues but they get used to it and begin to rebel agianst it. I was hit at home as well as at school and it became a war of wills. I am not ashamed to say it effected me in a the fact that I had a very bad time as a young person but have come through to be a very strong adult. I have a child and would never ever use hitting as a weapon and he is not out of control. He is a very rounded young person who will make a good role model as he grows. I am tired of young people being tarred with the same brush. Yes we have problems with young people but we make it worse by the way society treats them. I dont have answers to waht can be done but i know that hitting a child at school will not make it better. Consider a situation, domestic violence within the home being punished by being hit frequently, child's only safe haven is school. they do something wrong the teacher hits the chils. What message does that give to a child? what do you think they are going to grow up to do? Hitting does effect people and it does harm them physically and emotionally or we wouldnt see the violence we see now.    

 

 

I am truly astonished that anyone can advocate violence against children, whoever happens to be  meting it out. It is barbaric, it is unacceptable, it doesn't work and it is a very lazy way (mis)educating the young 'uns. The major thing that it teaches is that violence is an acceptable way to communicate. It's pathetic and moronic. 

spare the rod and spoil the child. light physical punishment is not barbaric. it is no coincedence that as we have moved away from light physical punishment children and youyhs have become more unruly, demanding and less accepting of socoal norms. very sad indeed. common sense will always prevail in the long run. 'barbaric' what a silly word to use. 'it teaches that violence is accpetable' absolute hogwash, many many children have and still are taught right from wrong with light physical punishment and have never been violent in there lives. society's problems are very much caused by the do not punish attitude. no belt, no smacking,less cutodial sentences, no more death sentence. we have lost control because of these liberal attitudes. common sense will prevail in the long run and we will return to a society where punishment is right and just. the fact that smacking has not been made illegal speaks volumes.

Smacking children is rarely a considered approach to discipline rather than a loss of control and abuse of power. 

 I have never smacked my children and instead have a number of effective sanctions which I use if I need to.  My autistic son had lots of behavioural problems when he was younger and I am sure that in a previous era he would have been regularly caned at school.  It's not been easy but now he is a polite and happy teenager with no behaviour issues - and he's never been smacked. We have got there by working with the school and using lots of different strategies.

 The problem with allowing some smacking is that plenty of people don't know where to draw the line - or indeed their line is in a different place from everyone else.

I have one daughter and two stepsons. I have never smacked any of them and never will. All smacking does is teach children that violence is OK. Moreover it teaches them that it's OK to use violence against those smaller or weaker than yourself in order to get your own way. Added to that the fact that it is in itself brutal and you have a behaviour that should have no place in modern society. Like many in my generation I was regularly hit to control my behaviour as a child - it made me a bully for a while. In an increasingly violent society is this really the sort of lesson we want to teach the next generation? I'm also reminded of a poster I saw a few years ago (I think the NSPCC was responsible but I'm not sure). It was a cartoon-like drawing of a young child standing in tears next to his mother. The caption was: "Mummy, if smacking works why do you have to keep doing it?" Cheers, Stuart

Get1 your comments astound me., tell me what is light pyhsical punishmemt will we have a scale and who will police it. What is a tap to one person is not a tap to another. I have had so many cases where the parent said " I only tapped him" the look on the child said another. What a society we live in lets not talk to the child lets just him him/her. as for the fact that the reason why kids are unruly is because we dont hit them Well what can I say rad it back to yourself and shame should be on your lips.

i should be ashamed along with the many millions who agree that light physical discipline is bad? who the hell are you judge? it astounds me that people stil belive that smacking (and i mean smacking, not thrashing someone with a belt) creates a more violent society whilst in this thread we are told that we are living in a more violent society. spare the rod and spoil the child. it's true.it's poltcal correctnes gone mad guvnor.