Time to stop smacking
Published
A smacking ban is being considered for England following fresh calls for a ban by the Children's Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza. Smacking bans have already been brought in by devolved governments in Scotland and Wales, as well as Jersey, outlawing the use of physical violence to punish children.
Plans for similar laws in England were rejected by the previous Conservative government only last year. But current government ministers are now looking carefully at whether more can be done on the issue.
The move comes following fresh calls prompted by the death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif who was abused over a two-year period by her father, stepmother and uncle, a charge which they deny. Dame Rachel says a ban on any type of corporal punishment, including smacking, hitting, slapping, and shaking, could stop lower level violence from escalating.
Currently, in England and Northern Ireland it is legal for a carer or parent to discipline their child physically if it is a ‘reasonable punishment’, but the Children Act 2004 made it illegal to assault a child causing actual or grievous bodily harm. The NSPCC and Barnardo's have long called for an English smacking ban and in a poll by YouGov in March 2024, 1 in 3 respondents said that physically disciplining a child is not acceptable.
