Campaigners are advocating for amendments to the UK Government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, currently under debate in Parliament, to abolish the defence of “reasonable punishment.” This legal defence permits parents to administer mild physical discipline without facing assault charges. Supporters argue that the current law has contributed to tragic outcomes, including the deaths of children such as 10-year-old Sara Sharif, whose father and stepmother were found guilty of murder in 2023, and three-year-old Dwelaniyah Robinson, whose mother was convicted of murder following his death in 2022.
Medical professionals and children’s charities are calling for a ban on smacking children, asserting that such a prohibition would protect children’s lives. A recent poll indicated substantial support for a ban among social workers, healthcare professionals, teachers, and police officers.
Professor Andrew Rowland, officer for child protection at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, explained the concerns, saying, “The evidence is clear that physical punishment of children harms their health. The laws around physical punishment as they stand are unjust and dangerously vague. They create a grey area in which some forms of physical punishment may not be unlawful.”
He added, “As a paediatrician working in child protection services, I am regularly faced with situations where it is alleged that physical punishment has been used against a child. The vague nature of the laws makes it extremely challenging to talk to families about what the rules are around physical punishment of children, thus making it more difficult to talk about the best interests of their children.”
Chris Sherwood, chief executive of the NSPCC, further stated, “Children should not be experiencing physical punishment in any form. Yet, as long as the law tolerates some level of physical force against children, their wellbeing will always be a matter of judgement about what is ‘reasonable’.”
He also highlighted professional concerns: “Professionals are telling us that the current legal loophole makes it harder for them to assess the safety of a child.”
Alongside the NSPCC, other organisations including the charity Barnardo’s and Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, have endorsed the call for a legal ban on physical punishment of children.
Similar bans have already been enacted in Scotland and Wales, reflecting a growing trend towards eliminating corporal punishment across the United Kingdom. A cross-party group of MPs representing Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, and Green parties proposed amendments to extend such protections to children in England through the current Bill. However, these proposals were rejected by the Department for Education.
The Express is reporting that the debate continues amid ongoing concerns over child protection laws and the legal frameworks surrounding disciplinary practices by parents.
Source: Noah Wire Services