Laws need to be changed to ensure hitting a child is not considered acceptable under any circumstances, a landmark report demands.
Current law in England and Northern Ireland has created “grey zones”, meaning there is sometimes a defense against physical punishment, says the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).
Wales made any type of corporal punishment, including slapping, hitting, slapping and shaking, illegal in March 2022, while Scotland had already introduced a similar ban in November 2020.
The RCPCH is now calling for this policy to be adopted across the UK, arguing that amendments to remove the “reasonable punishment” defense from the Children Act 2004 for England and the Law Reform Order 2006 for Northern Ireland” They are very late.”
Its report on the issue argues that, ahead of the general election, now is the time for all political parties to “make meaningful commitments on this important issue of children’s rights”.
Current law in England and Northern Ireland has created “grey zones”, meaning there is sometimes a defense against physical punishment, says the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). Stock
It warns that children who experience physical punishment are almost three times more likely to develop poorer mental health and more than twice as likely to suffer serious physical assault and abuse.
Physical punishment also increases the likelihood of behavioral problems in childhood, poorer relationships with parents and family, and cases of aggression later in life.
Internationally, 65 states have a complete ban on physical punishment of children and 27 more have committed to reforming their laws to achieve a complete legal ban.
But adults in England and Northern Ireland still have more protection than children.
Professor Andrew Rowland, consultant pediatrician and child protection officer at the RCPCH, said: “The laws on physical punishment as they stand are unfair and dangerously vague.
‘They create a gray area in which some forms of physical punishment may be legal and others may not.
‘As a pediatrician working in child protective services, I am regularly faced with situations where physical punishment is alleged to have been used against a child.
‘The vague nature of the laws makes it extremely difficult to talk to families about what the rules are around physical punishment of children, which makes it more difficult to talk about the best interests of their children.
“This lack of legislative clarity may even add an additional layer of complexity when trying to identify cases of child abuse.”
Professor Rowland said society’s views on punishment had changed over time, with two in three adults now agreeing that physical punishment of children is unacceptable.
Professor Andrew Rowland, consultant pediatrician and child protection officer at the RCPCH, said: “The laws on physical punishment as they stand are unfair and dangerously vague.”
He added: ‘There should be no gray areas when it comes to protecting children.
“Changing the laws in England and Northern Ireland will give us absolute clarity and ensure there are no cases where it is acceptable or legal to hit a child.”
Bess Herbert, advocacy specialist at the international organization End Corporal Punishment, said: “The science on physical punishment of children is already established. Hundreds of studies have found that it is associated with a wide range of negative outcomes.
“I hope that England and Northern Ireland will soon join the growing number of countries that have taken this vital step to protect children, defend their rights and support healthy and positive parenting.”