To be happy it will soon be illegal to smack children?

[speakout]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-41678797

Brilliant news.

@speakout if two of those times was because the wife latched onto the husband’s lip with her teeth and wouldn’t let go until the smack, leaving him with a fat bloody lip for days,then fair enough.

So pull your judgy pants out of your arse. There’s many things I do wrong in my parenting but this is not one of them.

Laws need to move with the times.

Indeed. And sometimes laws need to lead. Well done Scotland.

I am a lefty (by American standards), and I don't think cultural sensitivity comes into it at all. It certainly doesn't for physical violence against an intimate partner so why should it for hitting children? There are some absolute societal standards that are completely defensible and this is one of them.

Jessikita do you hit other people or animals too or is it just children that you hit?

How is that attitude going to help struggling parents. Maybe banning smacking may get the parents the help they need. Some children hit their parents for fun. Try not to be judgmental with your response and show a bit of humanity what would you do to help these parents. Its all about making a change and changing attitudes to help build happy families.

It is a silly law once again empowering external childcare over parents.

It is very debatable whether it makes much difference to how much smacking goes on (has been illegal in a Sweden since 70s and plenty still smack there).

It also encourages an informer culture (see some posts above). Of course if you see a child beaten it should be reported but a single smack?! Equally children will be guilted in not discussing smacking with outsiders (‘if you tell mummy will go to jail’). Again apparently this happens in Sweden.

One of those laws which makes lefties feel good but has plenty of unintended consequences, mostly negative to children who really need help.

Hmm...naughty child tries to run away from parents. Parent grabs child's arm as potential risk to child going missing. Parent has now commited an assault and at risk of prosecution

Hope the legislation is well written.

On this one I have to admit I really don’t care if people agree with me. In fact my judgy pants are so firmly wedged up my backside I feel like I am floating. As far as I am concerned adults that smack (beat) kids do it because they lose control of their own emotions and try regaining control by hitting defenceless children. It’s assault end of.

My partner met a social worker in his old job and she told him that she smacks her kids and if they tell anyone they would go into care. What a mad world we live in.

That's great news.

I'm in Finland where smacking has been illegal for a few decades now. It still goes on to some extent but much much less than it used to.

Zebra,

So let’s get this straight, you feel an otherwise loving parent with a well balanced child should face legal sanctions if they occasionally smack?

What would you like to happen? Jail? Fine and criminal record? Child taken into care (where they would be do much better off...)?

It is a silly law once again empowering external childcare over parents.
I agree.
It is more 'State' interference in how people bring up children. Do not agree with the named person either for those exact reasons.

So let’s get this straight, you feel an otherwise loving parent with a well balanced child should face legal sanctions if they occasionally smack?

Yes. Jail and/or criminal record for assaulting a child works for me.

So let’s get this straight, you feel an otherwise loving husband with a well balanced wife should face legal sanctions if he occasionally smacks her?
^

speakout, I didn't say what is the point of the law, I was just asking how it can be enforced when there is not likely to be any evidence in most cases, apart from the more extreme ones where there is physical marks or other concerns for the children's welfare.

Totally agree zebra

Zebra,

Not for the child though, when their parent becomes unemployable. Funny how you care more about the punishment than the outcome for the actual child.

Soci but then how is the law enforced when it protects other members of society?

Wives and children do not a good comparison make for more reasons than I can be bothered to write (and most people know anyway, they just like the analogy to make a point).

@Zebra31 and the child would be looked after whom? The magic fairies in the sky? Considering the social care system is down to it’s knees,with underfunded ,underpaid and overworked workers.

I would think that like any other case brought to court of law it would require some evidence? Even if it was just brought to the attention of social services?

Good. Anyone who thinks hitting children is acceptable is obviously not very good at thinking.

larry- I disagree.

I broadly agree that children should have the same protections, however, I don't think it would help anyone, including children, to prosecute parents for something very minor.

Not for the child though, when their parent becomes unemployable. Funny how you care more about the punishment than the outcome for the actual child.

I care about the child and if the child’s parent cared then they would not beat (smack) them. No child should be left in the care of an adult that is incapable of controlling their own emotions. Adults hit children because they get angry.

Yes. Jail and/or criminal record for assaulting a child works for me.

Then child gets put into care where God knows what will happen to them. I've heard some stories I would not wish any child to go into care. If people like the op feel that parents and young people should not be supported together and the parent should be thrown in prison. That's why we have a prison system they will pick up the pieces later on when the child gets older. I've never seen a parent smack their child in public.

YANBU