A recent poll has revealed that the majority of professionals working with children believe that smacking should be outlawed in England, echoing legislation in Wales and Scotland. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is currently under consideration in Parliament, with a leading charity urging for a ban to be included in the new law.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) conducted research, including a YouGov survey of 729 UK adults working with children. The survey found that 90% of social workers, 77% of healthcare professionals, 75% of teachers, and 51% of police officers believe that English law should be amended to prohibit physical punishment against children.
Social workers were particularly opposed to smacking, with 99% stating that a parent using physical punishment negatively affects the parent-child relationship, and 90% indicating it adversely impacts a child’s behavior.
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Both social workers (68%) and teachers (52%) agree that the current legal stance complicates their efforts to safeguard children.
Scotland and Wales have recently implemented measures to protect children from physical punishment, but in England, adults can still use the “reasonable punishment” defense, leaving children without the same legal protections as adults.
Chris Sherwood, the NSPCC’s chief executive, commented: “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 judgment about what is ‘reasonable.'”
A spokesperson for the Department for Education remarked: “The landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill represents the single biggest piece of child protection legislation in a generation. This government has prioritized significant reform of the children’s social care system, driving better child protection and information sharing between education, health, and social workers to stop vulnerable children from falling through the cracks.”
They also noted: “While we are looking closely at the legal changes made in Wales and Scotland in relation to smacking, we have no plans to legislate at this stage. Through our Plan for Change, this government will give children growing up in our country the best start in life.”