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Feminism: chat

Where does feminism stand on the smacking of children?

41 replies

JC544D · 09/04/2022 00:35

Where does feminism stand on the smacking of children?

OP posts:
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Moodycow78 · 13/04/2022 04:10

This isn't a feminist issue it's a parenting one, wrong board.

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MrsTerryPratchett · 13/04/2022 03:36

Is this one of those threads where feminists are supposed to do the heavy lifting for everyone? Or where we have to deal with every single social ill before demanding our freedom from oppression? Or SQUIRRELS look at this thing over here not women's rights.

I'd assume that since feminists are broadly against using violence to oppress women and girls and since half of all children are girls... we'd be generally against. IME feminists (actually women) defend the rights of children in the main. So the Venn diagram of feminists and smack-enthusiasts wouldn't be a circle.

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Kanaloa · 13/04/2022 03:29

Although if you don’t know anyone who promotes smacking kids you can easily meet some on mumsnet. They’ll wade in wailing ‘short sharp shock! I HAD to tap him to stop him jumping in the bathtub with the microwave, what else could I possibly have doooonnne? My mum smacked me and I’m fine!’

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Kanaloa · 13/04/2022 03:28

@5zeds

I wonder where blue eyed people stand on smacking children?

I’m not sure I know anyone who promotes smacking anyone.

Me and all the other blue-eyes disagree with smacking children.

Anyway I think smacking kids is abhorrent and I am a feminist but I don’t disagree with smacking kids because I’m a feminist. I can see why you’ve linked the two though - it’s hard to imagine someone who is a feminist (so pretty savvy and clear on rights and willing to stand up for women’s rights and against oppression) would somehow think it’s acceptable to hurt vulnerable people in their care.
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MangyInseam · 12/04/2022 23:48

@StillWeRise

I'm inclined to agree, but would like to know how it's worked in other countries, ie are there actually any prosecutions? Maybe it's more that having the law in place makes people take the issue seriously?

No, there aren't typically many prosecutions.
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StillWeRise · 12/04/2022 18:41

I'm inclined to agree, but would like to know how it's worked in other countries, ie are there actually any prosecutions? Maybe it's more that having the law in place makes people take the issue seriously?

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NumberTheory · 12/04/2022 04:09

In general, I think most women who would call themselves feminists are against smacking children as most left leaning philosophies tend to support positive rather than negative approaches to encouraging socially acceptable behavior.

Personally, I’m against hitting children but not necessarily for making it a criminal offense. I don’t think criminalizing parenting that isn’t serious enough to remove children for is normally a good idea.

I do think it’s bizarre that we should have an exception to a general criminal law about hurting people when it’s powerful people )parents) hurting vulnerable ones (children) but in practice I think criminalization is an ineffecient way to try and improve kids’ lives and we should put the time and effort into helping parents develop good parenting practices instead.

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deydododatdodontdeydo · 11/04/2022 16:00

England is the outlier in Europe.

England and Northern Ireland.

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MangyInseam · 11/04/2022 15:59

It could be an issue for feminism in as far as that where it is banned, it may become a factor in family court or divorce cases.

And given that women are more often caregivers of small children, laws against it are more likely to impact women.

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nettie434 · 11/04/2022 14:42

@JC544D

StillWeRise

Smacking is illegal in Wales and Scotland.

I'm glad you pointed out the difference between Wales, Scotland and England, JC544D. England is the outlier in Europe.

A major review last year concluded that smacking increased children's behaviour problems:

www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2021/jun/physically-punishing-children-not-effective-and-increases-behavioural-problems

However, I would not expect this current Westminster government would ban smacking. I assume politicians are quiet about it because there is a longstanding reluctance to intervene in what happens in the home.
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5zeds · 11/04/2022 10:33

I wonder where blue eyed people stand on smacking children?

I’m not sure I know anyone who promotes smacking anyone.

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AlisonDonut · 11/04/2022 09:00

@StillWeRise

smacking isn't illegal in the UK
It's controversial but not taboo, and I'm sure there are communities who don't even think it's controversial.

I'm sure there are but are they feminists?
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Wanderingstars4238 · 11/04/2022 00:09

I'm against hitting your kids. I think it's just as bad if not worse than when a man hits his wife.

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JC544D · 10/04/2022 18:02

StillWeRise

Smacking is illegal in Wales and Scotland.

OP posts:
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Zonder · 10/04/2022 17:46

Smacking is unlawful in England and illegal in Wales.

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StillWeRise · 10/04/2022 11:27

smacking isn't illegal in the UK
It's controversial but not taboo, and I'm sure there are communities who don't even think it's controversial.

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Linguini · 09/04/2022 22:27

I can see how smacking is a motherhood issue and therefore a feminist issue.

I'm not an authority on the subject in anyway whatsoever but I'd pretty much assume most feminists would be anti-smacking.
I couldn't fathom a feminist argument for pro- smacking to be honest.

I think the reason why it's not on the forefront of feminist debate at large, is because smacking in the UK is already illegal with a slight caveat that in practice makes smacking, even in demanding circumstances, extremely taboo.

It's not really done, so it's not a huge pressing issue.

Child abuse is obviously a very pressing issue and one that feminists talk about (painfully) a lot.

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StillWeRise · 09/04/2022 20:50

er, imagine, not image

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StillWeRise · 09/04/2022 20:50

well...I think there is probably a consensus, as we are seeing, I can't imagine a feminist who would condone smacking, but it doesn't really seem to be a feminist issue to me. I can image a tangential way of coming at it in that women are generally tasked with the upbringing of children, and judged accordingly, so we might have an opinion from that angle I suppose.

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JC544D · 09/04/2022 19:46

Fairislefandango
"OP. Did you expect feminists generally to agree with your view or have the opposite view?"

I had no idea, hence asking the question. As a guess I'd say the general view would be for a ban on smacking.

It's just that several self proclaimed feminist politicians in England don't seem to be very vocal about the issue. I just found that odd. Maybe its because as people say in the thread, 'its not a feminist issue', I accept that.

It's just something I feel very strongly about and wish that some politicians would be more vocal about it.

I guess it was rather a sweeping question to ask such a broad church of people involving so many opinions, I accept that.

OP posts:
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Hoppinggreen · 09/04/2022 19:40

Well Feminists are people so just like any group of people I imagine they have a variety of opinions on it.
I disagree but I’m not sure that it’s because I am a feminist

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Linguini · 09/04/2022 19:34

Smacking doesn't help children.
It's basically an act of revenge by the parent, when they're a shit parent who can't tolerate normal childhood behaviour.

In my opinion.

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JC544D · 09/04/2022 19:30

AlisonDonut

Do you think the current government in the UK should ban the smacking of children, like the current Scottish and Welsh governments have done?

Personally I think they should.

OP posts:
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AlisonDonut · 09/04/2022 19:24

The OP woke up and thought 'i do wonder what those feministy people think about...smacking".

As if feminists would ever be for smacking kids. FFS.

Snacking tho, amirite?

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Fairislefandango · 09/04/2022 19:00

Oh I didn’t give my actual opinion. I consider myself a feminist and am totally against smacking. I agre it should be banned. I'm intrigued to know what made you specifically interested in feminist views on this, OP. Did you expect feminists generally to agree with your view or have the opposite view?

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