Smacking children could be made illegal in Wales under plans unveiled by the Welsh Government.
The Minister for Children and Social Care, Huw Irranca-Davies, has launched a three-month public consultation on the proposal to remove the defence of reasonable punishment in Wales.
Charities such as the NSPCC are supportive of the move and say it will bring Wales into line with other countries. However, campaigners against the ban say it could criminalise parents.
Mr Irranca-Davies AM said: “We all want to give our children the best start in life. As a parent of three boys myself, I know being a parent can sometimes be a challenging experience. Children do not come with an instruction manual and sometimes parents need guidance and support to help them raise healthy and happy children.
“Our knowledge of what children need to grow and thrive has developed considerably over the last 20 years. We now know that physical punishment can have negative long term impacts on a child’s life chances, and we also know it is an ineffective punishment.
“Whilst physically punishing children was accepted as normal practice in previous generations, we know that it is increasingly being seen as less acceptable and parents feel less comfortable.”
The Be Reasonable campaign group are opposed to a ban on smacking.
Broadcaster and journalist Lowri Turner, a spokeswoman for the group, said: “We have been disappointed by the emotionally charged language used by those wanting to change the law.
“They try to make out that a gentle smack on the back of the legs from a loving mum is the same as beating up your kids – it is not.
“Forcing through this punitive legislation regardless of the opposition from Welsh families will merely criminalise ordinary parents.
“New Zealand outlawed smacking in 2007 and every year dozens of parents are investigated by police and sometimes prosecuted for using reasonable chastisement. Far-reaching action can also be taken by social services even where there is no prosecution.”
An spokesman for NSPCC Cymru Wales said: “The NSPCC has long campaigned for children in Wales to have the same protection against assault as adults so we welcome the steps being taken towards removing the defence of ‘reasonable punishment’.
“Doing so is a common-sense move which is about fairness and equality for children.
“It is wrong that a defence which does not exist in a case of common assault against an adult can be used to justify striking a child.
“Closing this loophole will bring Wales in line with dozens of countries around the world and finally give our children equal protection under the law.”
If the ban went ahead, Wales would be the second part of the UK to outlaw the physical punishment of children after Scottish Government announced its plans in October last year.
I was smacked as a child, both at home and at school. It did me a lot of good, teaching me right from wrong and consideration for others.
Apart from believing that parents have a much better idea of bringing up children than the Welsh Assembly I wonder how parents are to be caught and punished? Are we to listen to children denouncing their parents – like Soviet Russia or Nazi Germany? Once the smacker is convicted is the governmment going to remove their children and put them in special government run homes?
This proposed legislation is intrusive to family life, dangerous for society and hopefully will never be implemented. There is a world of difference between a smack, or more normally the threat of a smack, from a loving parent and actual bodily harm. Child abuse is illegal and placing smacking into this category is not only ridiculous but will waste police and court time that could be spent securing convictions on those who genuinely are a threat to children.
I couldn’t have put it better myself
Thank you Edward, this pernicious proposal was rejected by the Assembly the last time. I hope good sense prevails once more.