Should Parents be Banned from Hitting Children? – I think not!
This potentially controversial subject hit the news yesterday, when the government rejected a call to ban physical punishment of children in England, saying they were already protected by law.
NSPCC and Barnardo’s are saying that England should ban any type of smacking, hitting slapping or shaking as is the case in Wales, Scotland, and Jersey, which based upon other devolved laws, this possible doesn’t surprise me.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am no advocate of hitting children for any old reason and would certainly be against any change to the current law.
However the law is quite clear in England, The Children Act of 2004 says it is unlawful to assault a child causing actual or grievous bodily harm, or with child cruelty.
It is though, legal for a carer or parent to discipline their child physically if it is a reasonable punishment.
Now from my perspective all parents should already be suitably prepared and fully understand what reasonable is, if you aren’t then to be honest you are unfit to be a parent and the law will at some point find you out.
Armed with that knowledge there will be a time, not often I grant you, when a physical punishment of a child will be necessary.
If this is admonished correctly at an appropriate stage, the child will learn very quickly about right and wrong and the need for further physical punishment will reduce dramatically or not be required at all.
In my experience once the parent has the respect of the child then, purely the potential threat of punishment will provide the necessary deterrent and the family unit will reach a satisfactory equilibrium.
However the requirement to resort to physical punishment should not be taken away from a parent, but they should seek to moderately use it when, it is ultimately required, in their everyday pursuit of undertaking the most challenging thing in the world, that of being a good parent.
Children are extremely demanding, but with suitable skill and teaching on the parents part, will hopefully become wonderful members of the human race, and eventually also wonderful parents just like their own Mum and Dad.
