Where does feminism stand on the smacking of children?

[JC544D]

Where does feminism stand on the smacking of children?

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.

Smacking is unlawful in England and illegal in Wales.

StillWeRise

Smacking is illegal in Wales and Scotland.

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

@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?

I wonder where blue eyed people stand on smacking children?

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

@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.

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.

England is the outlier in Europe.

England and Northern Ireland.

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.

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?

@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.

@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.

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!’

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.

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