So Scotland have just made it illegal to smack your child. I'm genuinely interested in if people agree or not with this as it's a whole can of worms to open and naturally has much debate surrounding it. Arguments go along the lines of physical abuse of the child but then again who are the government to say what disciplinary methods a person can or can't use upon their own child? I get that constant smacking makes it a redundant practice and only makes the child live in fear but an occasional light smack on the bum?! I think the law is too heavy handed and may lead to not even being allowed to raise your voice to them in the future...
I think the result of the ban in England speaks for itself. I trained to work with children at a time when the accepted practice was to warn a child that disobedient or dangerous behaviour would result in a smack. If the child continued then they got a smack. (I'm not talking beatings/violence..there's no place for that). Children test the boundaries with their behaviour..that's normal, but there should be boundaries and children should learn to respect them. If not, eventually you get a society full of uncouth, inconsiderate, arrogant adults.
Is it illegal for a child to hit a parent ? Is it illegal for a child to hit another child ? When does patting my dog forcefully become illegal?
A clip around the ear hole, a caning, a ruler across the hand, the slipper, the odd blackboard rubber thrown in your direction. Oh great memories of my school days. They did no lasting harm.
So, it's now a criminal offense . If you were taken to court for smacking your child what would the penalty be? A fine? The parent is then likely to spend that much less on the child - no toys, take pocket money away etc. A stricter Justice of the Peace may decide you are to go to jail or just an unfit parent. Then the state would have to look after the child. There is not the facility, or money, and the child is likely to be irreparably damaged socially. Back in the dark ages when I was at college we used to attend courts as part of our course. One parent had been brought to court because of applying corporal punishment too often and was told to handle things in a gentler manner. The mother said she had tried that and it didn't work and would the magistrate like to take the child for a week or so and see how he gets on!
We must have gone to the same school Pete. Of course, as far as my mum was concerned. Her little son was an angel. That's why I experienced the same as Pete, plus whacks around the head and several stroke from dad's Sam Brown belt on my bare R's. I certainly ended up with respect for other people and discipline.
Ha! They'd abolished that by my school years but the teachers obviously didn't get the memo... Builds exceptional reflexes