Child doctors have joined in calls for a complete ban on smacking children in England. There is no evidence, they say, that it has any positive impact on their wellbeing. Smacking is currently unlawful in England except in cases where it is considered to be a “reasonable punishment.”
But the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) wants this legal defence to be abolished. An amendment to a law is currently making its way through parliament. The Department for Education said that the government has no plans to change the law on smacking but added that it is committed to providing the best start in life for every child.
“Now is the time for this Victorian-era punishment to go,” Prof Andrew Rowland, RCPCH officer for child protection said.
If enough MPs back the amendment to the bill, which was tabled by Labour MP Jess Asato in January, the “reasonable punishment” defence would be outlawed in England.
Currently, in Scotland and Wales, corporal or physical punishment is illegal. But England and Northern Ireland still maintain the “reasonable punishment” defence. In England, it has been included in the Children Act of 2004 but corporal punishment of children has been legal since 1860. Scotland was the first to ban it in November 2022 with Wales following suit in March 2022.
There are 67 countries, according to Prof Rowland, where it has been banned. An additional 20 are committed to doing so.
The government said that it would be “looking closely” at the changes made in Scotland and Wales but it currently has no plans to legislate on it at this stage.
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