Paediatricians urge law change to ban smacking in England and Northern Ireland
by Aine Fox
Apr 16, 2024
3 minutes
Laws must be changed to ensure smacking a child is not seen as acceptable in any circumstances, paediatricians have urged.
The current law in England and Northern Ireland has created “grey areas” which mean there is sometimes a defence to physical punishment, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) said.
Wales made any type of corporal punishment, including smacking, hitting, slapping and shaking, illegal in March 2022, while Scotland had already introduced a similar ban in November 2020.
The laws around physical punishment as they stand are
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