Press Releases

07 October 2008

Public opposition to smacking children is at an all time high according to new figures released by the NSPCC today 7 October, 2008.

The findings come on the day MPs prepare to vote on an amendment to the Children and Young Person's Bill which could finally ban smacking in England and Wales. A total ban would bring England and Wales in line with18 European countries such as Germany and most recently Spain.

A majority of adults now think it is cruel to smack a child:

• 95% of adults say that smacking a baby under one year old is cruel 
• 73% of adults consider it is cruel to smack a toddler aged one to four. Four is the age when children are most likely to be smacked.
• 54% of people think it is cruel to smack a child of five and older.

The figures are even higher among parents themselves.

NSPCC head of policy and public affairs Diana Sutton said: "Smacking children is outdated and doesn't work. It's just no longer an acceptable means of discipline.

"It is a national embarrassment that the UK is one of only five remaining EU countries who have not banned or committed themselves to banning the physical punishment of children.

"Public opinion has turned against smacking. It's time politicians listened to the mood of the country and finally make this cruel and antiquated method of punishment illegal.

"This is an opportunity to give children the same legal protection from assault that adults currently enjoy. This may not come again for some time."

Last Friday, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child criticised the UK Government for failing to prohibit corporal punishment in the family. The Committee said this was a matter of priority.

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Notes to editors

• All the stats are from HPI research August 08.
• UN Committee on the CRC Concluding Observationshere
• The NSPCC is calling on the Government to give children the same legal protection from assault as adults already enjoy - no more, no less. Children are currently denied this.
• The law on hitting children was recently amended with the Children Act. However, the new law continues to give parents a legal defence of 'reasonable punishment' for some minor forms
• Equal Protection for Children Accelerates across Europe:
• Of the 27 countries of the European Union, only five - one of which is the UK - fail to give children equal protection or have not made a commitment
• 18 countries in Europe - most recently Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands - have now acted to satisfy human rights obligations by giving children equal protection from assault:1979 - Sweden; 1983 - Finland;1987 - Norway;1989 - Austria; 1994 - Cyprus; 1996 - Italy (by supreme court) 1997 - Denmark; 1998 - Latvia; 1999 - Croatia; 2000 - Bulgaria; 2000 - Germany; 2003 - Iceland; 2004 - Romania; 2004 - Ukraine; 2005 - Hungary; 2006 - Greece; 2007 - Netherlands; 2007 - Portugal; 2007 - Spain
• Of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe, more than half have now legislated for equal protection for children or are committed to doing so soon.
• Progress is also being made internationally. For example, in 2007, New Zealand became the first English-speaking country to give children equal protection.