Smacking Proposal

[rich47]

The Scottish Government has launched a consultation int its proposed ban on smacking children. To me it is a no brainer. How can anyone believe that teaching children that violence works as a solution is logical or sensible?

[woofgang]

I could see enforcement being difficult.

[Sqad]

I do not consider smacking to be violence just a punishment for wrong doing and children must be taught right from wrong.
I have seen no evidence that smacking breeds violence and since the banning of smacking in the 80's in my opinion, society has grown MORE violent.

[Rockrose]

There are many that believe a good smack does the child no harm, after all it happened to them and they are alright!
However, as a child my mother felt it was ok to belt me into the middle of next week for the smallest offence, and believe me it stays with you along with the side effects that it brings with .

[Rockrose]

//since the banning of smacking in the 80's//
That was only in state schools Sqad

[ummmm]

There isn't a ban on smacking, Sqad.

[LadyCG]

I was routinely given a "good hiding". My mother liked to let me spend a few minutes pleading first. She'd sit on the sofa and demand that I go to her for the punishment. She'd then tell me that if she had to come and fetch me, it would be "ten times worse." I think she enjoyed humiliating me just as much as she enjoyed inflicting the actual beating.

Some scars never heal.

Hitting children is not acceptable. Ever.

[Sqad]

Ummm/Rockrose.......thank you.

"It is illegal for a parent or carer to smack their own child, except where it amounts to "reasonable punishment", according to section 58 of the Children Act 2004."

I took a wide acceptance of the term "reasonable punishment" for the purpose of widening the OP.

[bhg481]

I agree with Sqad. I also think there is a difference between a smack and being belted into the middle of next week, which is well over the top.

[Rockrose]

Sqad it is not banned in England

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5252771/PM-pressure-ban-smacking-children-England.html

[gness]

I don't know how anyone can believe that either, Rich...... to want to hit anyone is a strange thing to want to do.....but to want to hit a child is way beyond strange........x

[Spungle]

Who is saying that violence works as a solution? I don't hear anyone making that argument.

[ummmm]

Sqad - i think it comes down to the use of weapons (slippers/belts etc)

[Spungle]

There is an increasing assumption that somehow spanking or smacking a child in loving discipline is somehow dangerous. One or two smacks to a naughty or disobedient child is not child abuse, quite the opposite.

[naomi24]

I’ve never felt compelled to smack, but let's keep it in perspective. Good hidings and belting children into the middle of next week doesn’t equate to a smack.

[gness]

Smacks....smacking......words used instead of hitting to make it sound better and somehow a good thing to do....smacking a child it hitting it.

Your five year old hits his little sister so to teach him that's wrong what do you do.....hit him. Bad parenting.

[ummmm]

Gness - lazy parenting.

[ck1]

How would it be controlled anyway? People aren't generally advertising that they smack their children. And if found guilty what happens, are the children removed from the household and put in foster care? There needs to be a distinction from abuse but all people have different ideas about smacking and trying to control this in their own house is going to be very difficult to monitor.

[AuntLydia]

The physical abuse I received at the hands of my mother has had the opposite effect in that I've never, and could never, raise my hand to my children. They have all grown up, disciplined by other methods, and two are now loving very good parents themselves.
Smacking a child is wrong, for whatever reason, but banning it would be almost impossible to Police .

[Rockrose]

So you smack your child for doing something wrong - all you are teaching it is if someone does something wrong against you in the future - its OK to smack them!!

[Deskdiary]

My old man used to give me a right pasting on a fairly regular basis - this led to two things:

1) As soon as I left home he became estranged- I didn't even go to his funeral.
2) I have never smacked my kids.

However, I do think there's a difference between a mild physical chastisement and having the crap kicked out of you, and generally I do not have a problem with the former despite never having done it myself.

Let's face it, unless it is quite apparent a child has been beaten, it is entirely unenforceable.