Evaluation of the Statement that Hitting Children is Wrong

Evaluation of the Statement that Hitting Children is Wrong this statement in the form of an

advisory paper to a relevant Government department, onthe need (or

otherwise) to bring in legislation to ban the physical punishment of

children.

The current law in place in the UK, with respect to smacking children,

is known as the law of 'reasonable chastisement.' This law permits,

'the use by parents of reasonable chastisement when disciplining their

children.' That is, a parent is permitted to hit a child as a way of

enforcing discipline providing the physical punishment is within

moderate to reasonable limits.

There is however evidence which suggests hitting a child is both wrong

and ineffective in its aim of teaching a child right from wrong. This

evidence will be presented here in an effort to advise your government

of the reasons legislation to ban the physical punishment of children

should be established.

A ruling that UK legislation on the physical punishment of children

violates the UN convention on the rights of the child and breaches

Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, means your

government is required to amend the UK law.

Hitting children is wrong. It violates a child's human rights.

Currently everyone in the UK except children is protected against

physical violence by law. What gives us the right to discriminate

against children in this way and deny them the protection available to

everyone else as their right? It is argued that the law exists in its

current form, in order to maintain what is seen as a p...

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...children has been demonstrated already in

eight countries across Europe, who has already enforced the law. The

purpose of the law has been to educate adults in alternative ways to

discipline a child without compromising their safety and human rights.

The purpose of the law should not be to punish parents, but protect

our children. If parents were perhaps notified of the research which

suggests physical punishment is ineffective and may lead to more

violent behaviour and advised that the purpose of such a law would be

to protect children rather than punish parents, I feel a ban would not

be refuted and would ultimately be a very effective way of developing

our societies social attitudes and protecting our children form the

painful and humiliating practice of violating a child's human rights,

that is physical punishment.