New calls for total smacking ban

[Samishlol]

A group of politicians want to ban parents from smacking their children.

They're trying to persuade the government to change the law so kids in England and Wales have the same protection against assault as adults.

At the moment, light smacking IS allowed but it mustn't leave a mark. In Scotland, smacking kids under the age of three has been banned since 2003.

But in Northern Ireland, an attempt to ban physical punishments for young people failed in December last year.

Find out where you can get help if you're worried about smacking (http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7360000/newsid_7361100/7361165.stm)

Kevin Barron, who's one of the people wanting to get the law changed, said: "We must act now to end the legal approval of hitting children.

"The current law allowing so-called 'reasonable punishment' of children is unjust, unsafe and unclear, and must be abolished once and for all."

[Wayne]

I think hitting children lightly if they do something wrong is acceptable in my opinion. But thumping, abusing, hitting children with weaponary for no reason etc is totally unacceptable.

[Slowpoke]

Bring back the cane and teach kids some respect!

[Samishlol]

Bring back the cane and teach kids some respect!It's not about in schools. It's about parents at home

[Inseriousity.]

I think hitting children lightly if they do something wrong is acceptable in my opinion. But thumping, abusing, hitting children with weaponary for no reason etc is totally unacceptable.

Completely agree. I got light hits when I was younger (stern words below three. I agree with Scotland's law there). They always make 'praise and rewards' look so easy on those 'Supernanny' type shows but it's not and sometimes a light hit emphasises what will happen if you do naughty. It never did me any harm... :)

lol, I sound old now... 'when I was younger' and being able to remember watching the episodes on UKTV Gold means I'm reaching old age :p

[Aarcn]

Completely agree. I got light hits when I was younger (stern words below three. I agree with Scotland's law there). They always make 'praise and rewards' look so easy on those 'Supernanny' type shows but it's not and sometimes a light hit emphasises what will happen if you do naughty. It never did me any harm... :)

lol, I sound old now... 'when I was younger' and being able to remember watching the episodes on UKTV Gold means I'm reaching old age :p

U ARE OLD

[reeana]

It's not about in schools. It's about parents at home

You can get caned at home too.

[ToxicPaddy]

On one hand, smacking kids is never the answer. It just teaches them that violence sorts out things, when infact, it makes it worse. Also if you are smacked at the age of lets say 4, it can give you terrible memories of your parents when you grow up. In extreme cases, (and they are very extreme) people can be traumatized by it (although this is usually in abusive cases).

However, on the other hand you feel it can be the answer. For example, if you go through the supermarket and see some little brat screaming and stamping his/her feet on the floor for sweets, you can think to yourself 'omg if he was mine i would have belted him'.

In my opinion, light smacking should be allowed. But thats all, light smacking.

[Earthquake]

Yeah I read this a while ago, smacking your own kid isn't so bad, when the police said to my dad to give me a smack round the head if I piss him off, then he should do so, just don't leave a mark.

[GommeInc]

I don't see where these claims are coming from :S Pretty much all kids were smacked lightly when they were naughty when they were young. It's a way to teach the kid to acknowledge bad behaviour, they know they've done bad because they can feel something that goes with it e.g. a prod or a full handed, light tap on the hand which they can't ignore. Children ignore the fact theyre being ignored or told "behave" most of time anyway, because they receive nothing out of the situation.

Example:

A 5 year old goes out to dinner with her family; her mum, dad, grandma, grandad and her 2 brothers. She starts chucking food at everyone. Everyone starts looking at her telling her "NO!" In most cases, this means nothing to children, they'll just continue because children do have a good way of ignoring verbal commands. However, a very soft slap on the hand and even grabbing (which this ban will also disallow, no doubt) would at least get it through to the child, because with children, actions speak louder than words.

Look at any sort of media children use... Books have pictures in to engage the child, reading just isn't enough to keep them pleased. TV usually has annoyingly coloured characters - If they were plain and simple, like Eastenders, Coronation Street, the child would conk out and not really listen.

[cocaine]

smacking is actually effective

my parents did it and ive never been in any trouble of any sort

[Ramones]

smacking is actually effective

my parents did it and ive never been in any trouble of any sort

lol, yes, because it worked on you, it works! good reasoning.

although i do agree with you, i think it should be allowed to an extent and not be used as an excuse.

[[Jay]]

I think hitting children lightly if they do something wrong is acceptable in my opinion. But thumping, abusing, hitting children with weaponary for no reason etc is totally unacceptable.
I agree with that

[cocaine]

lol, yes, because it worked on you, it works! good reasoning.

although i do agree with you, i think it should be allowed to an extent and not be used as an excuse.

i dont see why it shouldnt work on others?

[JackBuddy]

If I didn't have my dad chasing after me with a slipper as a youngster, then god knows where I would be now...

[Samishlol]

If I didn't have my dad chasing after me with a slipper as a youngster, then god knows where I would be now...So you think punishing a kid with smashing them is really gonna help the situation? God help me when you have kids.

[Kardan]

On one hand, smacking kids is never the answer. It just teaches them that violence sorts out things, when infact, it makes it worse. Also if you are smacked at the age of lets say 4, it can give you terrible memories of your parents when you grow up. In extreme cases, (and they are very extreme) people can be traumatized by it (although this is usually in abusive cases).

However, on the other hand you feel it can be the answer. For example, if you go through the supermarket and see some little brat screaming and stamping his/her feet on the floor for sweets, you can think to yourself 'omg if he was mine i would have belted him'.

In my opinion, light smacking should be allowed. But thats all, light smacking.

I was smacked as a kid by my parents, quite hard in some cases - I've turned out fine, in fact, I think it benefited me; it definately taught me what I shouldn't be doing. But I wouldn't smack my kids - probably because I experienced it first hand.

[JackBuddy]

So you think punishing a kid with smashing them is really gonna help the situation? God help me when you have kids.
Oh god, you have something against me over my views on EMA.

Yeah, capital punishment is the best way forward for children. If I seriously thought that it had a negative mental or physical effect on me then I wouldn't have posted it...

[Ramones]

i dont see why it shouldnt work on others?

Because not everyones the same. Different people react in different ways, and different people are influenced by different things. I don't think it's just about so called 'abuse' but also psychological effects. The ones that are affected and 'don't turn out fine' most likely aren't going to say, ' i got smacked as a kid and because of that i am a nutter'. I think you gotta look at both sides of the argument, but i still agree with you, within reason.

[Samishlol]

Oh god, you have something against me over my views on EMA.

Yeah, capital punishment is the best way forward for children. If I seriously thought that it had a negative mental or physical effect on me then I wouldn't have posted it...Smacking the kid doesn't help. If you leave a bruise on your own kid you can get done.

Tbh your dad chasing you with a slipper proberly did you the good.

[Kardan]

Smacking the kid doesn't help. If you leave a bruise on your own kid you can get done.

Tbh your dad chasing you with a slipper proberly did you the good.

Smacking a kid can do good, the whole point of the ban is that it can have negative effects - and the people petitioning for the ban obviously don't like people taking risks.

[Samishlol]

Everyone i know don't smack their kids, my mum's friends. Simply because they know it's wrong and doesn't do the kid no good. They will just go and do it again

[JackBuddy]

Smacking the kid doesn't help. If you leave a bruise on your own kid you can get done.

Tbh your dad chasing you with a slipper proberly did you the good.
Well I think I've turned out fine and so did generations before us, who received more severe punishments. The most trouble I have got into in my life was probably an hours detention for not doing my homework once. I'm grateful to my dad for doing it. When I was a child, getting smacked was the only thing that really stopped me doing something. If he didn't smack me then I doubt I would have really cared about what I did.

[Samishlol]

Just because your dad smacked you and it did you good doesn't mean it will work for every little kid.

[JackBuddy]

Just because your dad smacked you and it did you good doesn't mean it will work for every little kid.
The law doesn't mean that every parent has to smack their child. It's optional, and the law will stop parents from doing it.

[Kardan]

Just because your dad smacked you and it did you good doesn't mean it will work for every little kid.

Which is what we've been saying, hence some people wanting the ban, but not all.

[GommeInc]

My cousin doesn't get smacked, and she misbehaves badly. The only time she learnt respect was when I grabbed and pulled her back to the table (admittedly, quite hard) because she wanted to watch TV, and this was a family meal :/ She didn't cry, she just sat back down and remained quiet. My whole family thinks this is stupid, how else are they meant to learn? Sitting them down in a corner, or ignoring them, or talking to them in a calm manner rarely works, because they'll forget moments later. Some very slightly physical contact, be it a tab on the hand or being grabbed at least gives them immediately contact so they know they can't avoid trouble...

Each child behaves differently, some listen to close contact, verbal commands while some need a prod (not a jab) to get their full attention.

[Moh]

It shouldn't be banned completely, as smacking your child (lightly like stated), is telling them whos boss. But beating the living crap out of them.. which I'm sure is illegal already, shouldn't be allowed.

[jesus]

i thought the title said total smoking ban :(

[Moh]

i thought the title said total smoking ban :(
Were not that lucky.