To wonder why on Mumsnet there is a smacking minority and in NZ 85% of people seem to want to do it?

[twentypence]

Lies, damn lies and statistics I know. But apparently NZ's new "anti smacking" law is opposed by 85% of New Zealanders.

Now I haven't looked into the proposed law carefully at all - partly because to actually find a fact amongst all the political posturing and soundbites largely because as I don't smack and never will it doesn't matter to me personally whether it becomes illegal or not.

But 85% just seems so high...

cos in NZ they aint pinko liberal hippies?

i'm quite sure it's being told how to discipline their own children that they object to.

Hmmm, I've been in the US for 4 years and I've never seen a child get hit. Almost shot, yes, but not smacked.

Yes, I think it's being told what to do that they dislike - however there is disliking it and then there is taking your 2 children on a protest march to campaign for the right to continue to smack them. I find that a bit weird.

That is a bit wierd, twentypence.

I just thought I should explain that the in my last post was at the child being almost shot, not at the fact that I haven't seen a child get smacked.

And my point was just that different thing are acceptable in different places, I think. Actually, I'm not sure I had a point. Sorry...

i'm pretty sure that something like this happened in scotland after a dad spent the night in the cells after smacking his child in a doctor's surgery. people out protesting that he had a right to discipline her. i can kind of see their point... except that it doesn't stand up to any sort of rigourous argument when you establish the rights of the child.

I'm also about you nearly seeing someone shot mamama.

Where are these smacking NZ-ers? I don't know any of them!

Campaigning to smack is very odd.

I've not had anyone tell me face to face, but a few have said on the phone that they oppose the bill.

So I was wondering if the interviews to get the 85% were on the phone.

I was going to run a gentle discipline using ideas from Music Therapy type work shop this year, been in my business plan since way before this hit the radar. I don't think now would be a good time though or that using that statistic anyone would actually attend.

twentypence ... I think the protestors are protesting about having 'parental rights' taken from them and the thought of 'criminalising parents' is causing a bit of a scare too.
For my part, like you, it makes no difference to me as I don't smack anyway. But I understand why people would have a problem with being 'told' how to parent.

Don't know about NZ, but here in the UK I'm anti-smacking but also against any anti-smacking laws.

For one thing, I don't agree that the very occasional last resort smack is child-damaging (there are better ways of discipline, almost certainly, but when can anyone claim to use the best parenting method for the right situation every single second of the day?!), I don't think current child protection laws are used to their full extent anyway and I also don't agree with criminalising parents where help should be given instead.

I do think MN isn't exactly representative of the UK as a whole. I suspect there are lots of people out there who smack, and don't really agonise about it.

twentypence, just because people are opposed to laws against smacking doesn't mean they don't necessarily want to learn to use other discipline techniques, by the way. I wouldn't see a survey like this as a reason not to offer such a course ...

Mumsnet's not real

I see plenty of smacked bottoms happening outside my son's playschool, so it does happen, and it does happen in public

I've seen it too colditz, makes me feel sick.

because there is a difference between thinking parents shouldn't smack and wanting people criminalised for smacking.

I don't belive in smacking either. However, on one occasion I was in a car park and my then 2 yr old ds bit my boob cos I had just told him off about something. I smacked him - didn't think about it just did it. That may or may not have been wrong but it was not criminal and I like those in NZ would vigorously object to it becoming so.

Oh i'm all for a swift and brisk beating on occasion.

Like RubberDuck I'm anti-smacking but also anti a no-smacking law.

I have smacked my children - well the youngest - the simple reason being that I was an inexperienced parent. As my parenting skills improved, and I learned other techniques I found the need to smack my subsequent children diminished. I needed help to improve my parenting not be criminalised.

I am in NZ and if they'd phoned me I would have said no to the bill too. Not that I think smacking children is right but I don't believe the bill stops people who beat their children from beating them - and at the end of the day this is who it is aimed at. Adults should know right from wrong and beating children is wrong, people who beat their chilren continue to do so because they live by their own 'moral' or immoral code. I don't believe any thought has been put into implementing the bill here, the police, social servies etc. are already stretched to the limit - add to the equation monitoring calls about parents who have smacked their children as opposed to beating them senseless and those who need support and help will now go without. There is also a cultural undercurrent which is in question, it is culturally acceptable for maori and islanders to hit their children and whether we think it is right or wrong, IMO education through the generations is the way to progress and not a law that nobody has any intention to adhere to. Personnally I feel very strongly it should not go ahead and hope they phone me soon!

Its not that Im against smacking I just feel that IMHO it has no effect - it works better if we take privileges away like no swimming for a week, no DVDs for a week etc.

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