UK rules on smacking

To hit or not to hit - 22nd May 2023

The UK government has rejected calls to create legislation banning corporal punishment. Activists proposed a law that would have made it illegal for parents to smack their children.

The government has argued parents should be entrusted with disciplining their children. A Department for Education spokesperson stated that the government condemns, "any violence towards children and has clear laws in place to prevent it."

However, the decision’s been met with outrage from childrens’ charities and activists. Sir Peter Wanless claimed, "It cannot be right that in this country it is illegal to hit an adult, but equal protection is not given to a child."

In England and Northern Ireland, parents or carers who discipline their children physically may legally do so as long as it's "reasonable punishment". The Children Act of 2004 considers anything beyond reasonable such as an assault causing bodily harm or cruelty to be unlawful.

Children’s charities and rights activists have highlighted that "reasonable punishment" could be subjective. While a parent or guardian may feel their punishment's reasonable, society and the child might not agree.

Popular opinion in England appears to disagree with the government’s decision. According to a recent YouGov study, almost two thirds of the population in England think physically disciplining children is unacceptable although it’s not completely clear whether they would support government intervention.

Until recently, legislative progress has moved slowly. Scotland and Wales banned corporal punishment in any form in 2020 and 2022 respectively. On the other hand, it was only in 1986 when the UK outlawed physical punishment in state schools. Private school teachers in Northern Ireland could still smack students in the early 2000s.

It may be years before the government reconsiders its position. Until then, families in England and Northern Ireland have their own decisions to make about what is reasonable.