Smacking might be banned?

Wed May 19, 2004 1:34 pm by Chips

More than two thirds of the population would back a ban on smacking children, according to a survey published today.

The MORI poll for the campaigning group Children Are Unbeatable! Alliance found 71 per cent of respondents supported a change in the law to give children the same protection from being hit as adults.

The current law allowing for "reasonable chastisement'' dates back to 1860 and means that children have less protection from smacking than adults.

An amendment to the Children Bill, currently being considered by the House of Lords, was tabled yesterday by four peers to give children equal protection.

It will be debated tomorrow in the House of Lords and peers will vote on the issue in June.

The Children Are Unbeatable! Alliance is pressing for a free conscience vote on the amendment.

The campaigning group brings together more than 350 organisations, including the NSPCC, Barnardos, Save the Children, NCH and the National Children's Bureau.

Commenting on the poll, NSPCC chief executive Mary Marsh said: "This shows that the general public supports sensible and fair modernisation of the law to give children equal protection.

"The current law giving children less protection dates back to the century before last and is clearly out of step with modern family values.

"In the 21st century, equal protection must be every child's right. It is vital that hitting children becomes as socially unacceptable as hitting anyone else, which means modernising the law, as at least 10 other European countries have done successfully.

"Children are the weakest and most fragile in our society. The least we should do is afford them equal protection, backed up by mass public education on positive parenting and greater support for parents."

The poll also found that 29 per cent of people believe children should have more legal protection than adults from being hit. Parents, young adults under 24 and women were most likely to support law reform, the survey of 2,004 adults found.

In 1998, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that UK law does not provide adequate protection for children in this respect and Council of Europe monitors are pressing ministers to act.

I am glad to say that even though you all hate AOL, they do keep some nice stuff going - like the actual poll they are running hasn't been hijacked by the idiots of the world - so 8000 votes are for smacking kids, 1000 for not smacking.

The reason for the thread is not just for people to say if they agree or disagree with the idea, so please - don't just post a "lets smack the little sods" or "NOoooo" - but discuss it.

Personally - i say its possibly the most ridiculous case of discussion ever - people should smack their kids - BUT NOT thrash/beat the crap out of them. That is abuse.

Do you think smacking works?
Do the other methods of discipline work just as well for all?
Whats your reasons for/against

Also - for all "kids" on the forums. Did you get smacked? what did your parents do when you did something dangerous? Do you agree with smacking - but BE sensible - don't just say no cause you hate being smacked (if indeed you are still smacked) - did you deserve it at all? and did it get the message across?

By the way - smacking taught me to respect and fear things - not only respect my parents and other people - but to fear danger (associated reaching for hot things with pain of being smacked....as you don't know what its like till you burn yourself - which i did do

). It also taught me right from wrong ALOT quicker than I would have learnt through "self enlightenment".Anyways - feel free to discuss if its of interest!

p.s - this is in England that this is happening - incase you yanks are getting confused!

Wed May 19, 2004 1:37 pm by freighter fighter

i think it should be left as it is, my parents smacked me when i did wrong, it did me no harm

Wed May 19, 2004 1:45 pm by Tawakalna

I've never smacked my kids, not once; but that's my choice. But making it illegal is a very wrong move, I think. It's interfering in family life, takes authority away from parents, emasculating them by the very fact of it's existence and announcement, and won't protect children who actually are at risk one iota. Other than that, it adds another prop to the "nanny state" that's come into being. The next step is ID cards.

..you shut your mouth, how can you say, I go about things the wrong way..

Wed May 19, 2004 1:48 pm by Recusant

Smacking isn't really abuse. It's just a short sharp shock and it teaches the kid that there are consequences for doing something he knows he shouldn't. Beating the crap out of kid is another thing completely but I believe that many people find it hard to see the difference these days and that explains why many are against it.

Wed May 19, 2004 1:50 pm by Indy11

OK Sorry. Please provide a description of the physical act of smacking particularly detailing which part of the parental anatomy smacks which part of the kids' anatomy.

Thanks.

Wed May 19, 2004 3:21 pm by arton alpha

(sarcasm) oh great! wonderful! (/sarcasm)
thats like cureing the disease by killing the patiant, when i look around i see a bunch of spoiled twirps that get anything they want without earning it now they'll know no concequence to bad behavior i myself never needed a smack but i was punished if i did wrong. if that vote comes to pass i'll give a thumbs down

Edited by - arton alpha on 5/19/2004 4:21:27 PM

Wed May 19, 2004 3:30 pm by H.Q. Victor

Having seen it in action, it , like others have said, is to enforce the parental authority over the child. Once the effect works, it often is not needed to continue. Children will always push against their parents and disobey due to not understanding the consequences of their actions. If used as punishment, rather than in anger, it is very effective. I got quite a few spankings when I was little and would do what ever was necessary to avoid it, including doing what my parents said. Beatings, that is another thing. That should be stopped, but the line between the two is a fine one and subject to interpretation.

Wed May 19, 2004 3:36 pm by Griffon_26

I smack anyone, children or adult alike

Wed May 19, 2004 3:38 pm by Esquilax

It's when it goes too far; that's when people should be prosectued. Like belting your kids with a club-lock... I'll never forget that.

Wed May 19, 2004 3:42 pm by arton alpha

yeah esq thats to far

Wed May 19, 2004 4:02 pm by mustang

Well here's another feather in the cap of minority groups, god I hate them all so much. I personally don't see a problem with it, my parents used to give me a clip around the ear from time to time and I can't say it ever adversly effected me. The fear of punishment was always more painfull than the actual deed itself.

As esq said, it's not the occasional tap on the rear that is the problem, it's the parents hell bent on causing grievious bodily harm. I honestly don't think that I would physically punish my kids (if I ever have them), but there are some children out there that are plainly to stupid to respond to anything except an occasional smack.

Wed May 19, 2004 4:11 pm by H.Q. Victor

Even if they do Ban spankings, that will not stop those who beat/hurt thier children. It happens every day in the news. That, is what needs to be stopped. Here in Ga. it seems to involve a Mom, child and a Boyfriend. One or both of the adults harm the child or kill it. A damn shame when another case is on the TV.

Wed May 19, 2004 4:13 pm by Eh_Steve

Well here's another feather in the cap of minority groups, god I hate them all so much.

Pretty soon they'll be burning books that offend anyone, like *cough cough* Fahrenheit 451 *cough*. I'm against this because even though I never deserved a smacking I think it is infringing on the rights of parents to control their kids. Soon kids will be growing up under state control like in Anthem and Brave New World.

Wed May 19, 2004 5:39 pm by Aurora Firestorm

When I was a kid, I think my parents smacked me a few times. I was a good kid, though, and they really didn't do it very much. Me, I think it depends on the family. If the smacking evolves into abuse, then there's a problem. But if it's simple chastising, the law has no need to be involved.

Besides, this whole thing is like those tags on the mattresses that say, "Don't remove under penalty of law." Who's going to make sure this is upheld? No one is going to be staring in your windows and watching you to make sure you don't smack your kids. Seriously. So as long as you don't do it in public, the law really wouldn't matter. But I don't think the law is necessary or beneficial here.

Do as you wish; I will not give up.

Wed May 19, 2004 5:41 pm by Esquilax

Arton - Tell me about it! There was also the wooden spoon that was affectionately known as the "kiddy basher". Fortunately, it use to break after a few months of use, but un fortunately, we had plenty of replacements

.

Steve - Well I hope they burn "Tek War"

.

Edited by - esquilax on 5/19/2004 6:41:42 PM

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