SMACK YOUR CHILD IN UK?
The law reflects societal views and values. Numerous laws have been enacted to protect children. One of these prohibits parents from punishing their children. Smacking children was prohibited in Sweden for the first time.
There are four nations in Europe that allow parents to smack their children and England is one of them. According to section 58 of the Children Act 2004, it is allowed for a caregiver or parent to slap their own kid provided "reasonable punishment" in England. Whatever punishment goes beyond what is deemed "reasonable" is, therefore, illegal. He/she might get prosecuted for the assault.
The issue is that some individuals do not understand what exactly "reasonable punishment" entails, taking into consideration the child's age and the severity of the smack. It is prohibited to hit a kid in a manner that creates injury, severe bodily harm, or child abuse. Smacking by child care workers, nursery workers, and teachers, was previously permitted but is now prohibited.
As per the Government in England, there are no such plans to impose an absolute ban. There are no plans to impose an absolute ban in England, according to the government.
According to a Department of Education spokesperson, "Violence against children is not tolerated by the government, and there are clear laws in place to address it. There are currently no plans to enact legislation”.
In Scotland, the Children Act 2019 officially went into effect on 7th November 2020 which prohibits children from being physically punished or disciplined.
The legal defense of "reasonable chastisement," that permitted parents to smack their kid under the age of 16, was repealed by Scottish ministers. Individuals who see parents smacking their kids are advised to call 999 and report by the Scottish Government. Among the UK nations, Scotland is the first one to ban all kinds of physical punishment for children.
As mentioned before, parents smacking children is expected to be banned in Wales in 2022. Huw Irranca-Davies, the Welsh Minister for Children, believes that physical punishment of children has no place in contemporary and modern Wales.
A father was convicted of assault in October 2017 after his five-year-old kid was reportedly spanked on the backside for destroying a potted plant.
Physical punishment of children has been shown in studies to have long-term and negative consequences on people's life. It can make youngsters resentful and furious, and it can also harm the parent-child bond. As a result, the government must modify the law as soon as possible to ensure that children in England enjoy the same level of protection as children in other regions of the United Kingdom.
