Doctors back total ban on smacking children in England

Leading pediatricians in the UK are calling for a complete ban on corporal punishment of children in England, stating that there is no evidence to suggest that physical punishment has a positive impact on children's well-being. Currently, in England, physical punishment is illegal unless it constitutes "reasonable chastisement."

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) now hopes to remove this legal defense through an amendment to a law currently under consideration in Parliament. The UK Department for Education has stated that the government has no plans to change the laws on corporal punishment but is committed to giving every child the best possible start in life.

Professor Andrew Rowland, child protection officer at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: "The time has come to abolish this Victorian-era punishment." If enough MPs support the amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill proposed in January by Labour MP Jess Asato, the defense of corporal punishment as "reasonable chastisement" will be completely abolished in England.

Currently, regulations regarding corporal punishment of children vary across different parts of the UK. In Scotland and Wales, corporal punishment or physical punishment is illegal, but in England and Northern Ireland, the defense of "reasonable chastisement" remains valid. In England, this defense is contained in the Children Act 2004, but the law has allowed corporal punishment of children since 1860. Scotland was the first country in the UK to ban corporal punishment in November 2020, followed by Wales in March 2022.

Professor Rowland said that 67 countries in the world have already passed bans on corporal punishment, and another 20 have pledged to do so. The government says it is "closely monitoring" the changes made in Scotland and Wales, but currently has no plans to legislate on corporal punishment. A spokesperson said that the bill in its current form represents "the most important child protection legislation in a generation."

"This government prioritizes major reforms to the children's social care system, promoting better child protection and information sharing between education, health and social workers to prevent vulnerable children from falling through the cracks," they added. Parents at a baby sensory group in Sale, Greater Manchester, told the BBC they were all against physically punishing children, but some were unsure whether the government should intervene.

Mom Leanne Casey said parents "should be able to discipline in the way they see fit," but added: "But I don't agree with physically punishing children, so if a ban is necessary, then I agree that's what you need to do." Dad Ollie Harrison said he would "never interfere" with someone else's parenting methods, but he added that a ban "could be beneficial" to avoid it being seen as a "grey area."

When looking at the population as a whole, Professor Rowland said that physical punishment "undoubtedly damages children's health." He said that no scientific studies provide reliable evidence that corporal punishment has any positive impact on children's well-being. Calls for a ban on corporal punishment have intensified after the death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif.

Sara was murdered in August 2023 after enduring two years of "torture" at the hands of her father and stepmother. Her father, who fled to Pakistan after the murder, had called UK police claiming he had been "legally chastising" Sara before her death.

In England, assaulting a child causing actual or grievous bodily harm or abuse is illegal, but Professor Rowland said that academic research shows that children who are physically punished face an increased risk of serious physical assault. He said that a complete ban on corporal punishment would make it easier for authorities to "draw a line in the sand and say that in no circumstances is physical punishment of children legal."

Other organizations, including the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, also support the amendment. The charity's Joanna Barrett said that corporal punishment is linked to "increased depression, anxiety, aggression and antisocial behavior." She said that legal changes are needed "urgently," adding that "we know now that for far too many young people in England, physical punishment is still a part of childhood."

Barnardo's chief executive Lynn Perry said: "Any violence towards children is unacceptable. Yet children remain less legally protected from assault than adults."