Is there anyone in England that still agrees with smacking their children (in 2025)?

[MintHare]

Just to clarify I was smacked as a child (2002) and have siblings latest being 15 (2010) where also smacked. Whilst I don’t think I was abused or anything I don’t think it’s something parents should do. However my and my mum got into a decision about the topic and she reckoned it’s something common nowadays just kept behind closed doors, which is something I disagreed with. But it got me thinking and just wanted to see what other experiences were on here. To be clear I do t want this to be a high judgment post or anything just something I was curious about. Thanks for any response

Beating someone smaller and weaker into submission is a disgusting way to behave.

I haven’t smacked my kids because I don’t want to be a parent that does that, however, I have felt like it at certain moments (like running into the road after telling him not to or unbuckling his seatbelt in the car for the 3rd time). I can see how parents could crack but it’s no longer an acceptable form of parenting in any of my circles at least. I don’t think it happens as a regular form of punishment behind closed doors but the odd occasion yes.

Just to clarify I do t agree with it. It was more of an out of interest question

I can see that. I’m not a parent so have never had to endure the stress that a situation like that could put someone through

I hope not. It’s an absolutely awful way to parent, it teaches your children nothing but that it’s okay to hit or be hit if you’re unhappy with someone’s behaviour. I just don’t understand why anyone would be okay with it.

@MintHare would anyone even admit to it?

I was smacked as a child, but I have never smacked my children.

There is never an excuse for it.

If you detach from the white middle class bubble for a second you’d probably be surprised

This is what I thought, i highly doubt anyone will admit on here that they think it’s ok.

I was also smacked as a child and agree it was common place then (1990s) but now consider it abusive. I can’t believe it’s still legal.

Would love to smack some parents.

That’s kinda of why I asked the question. I just wanted to know if it was the environment I was brought up in/am in even tho I was smack myself

Agree with this.

It wouldn’t even cross my mind to smack my children. No one I know smacks their children (to my knowledge anyway!)

Im just kinda to try and expand my knowledge about other communities and what they go through. I want to see how sheltered I am

I suppose if you try to read up about the incidence of smacking in say Pakistan - not that there would be exact figures, as there aren't anywhere.

Then it would stand to reason that the Pakistani/ Pakistani ethnic population in the UK would have a similar incidence of smacking.

I know you've asked specifically regarding England but im in Wales where it is illegal and I've known many parents who still choose it, even post ban

Yeah that’s fair. I don’t want to judge other cultures it’s just nice to have some sort of insight into them. Even if I’ll never full understand them from my privileged experience

Hmmm so why are so many young people extremely violent?
If they have been brought up with parents who never, ever smack them? Where on earth do they get the message that violence is how to react?
I just cannot believe that these youngsters have not been brought up in violent homes.

I don’t agree with GBH no, especially on someone smaller and who doesn’t understand the world. Kids get things wrong because they’re kids. They need a guide not a punisher.

No one would ever condone this (although they may have in the early 1900's. But smacking should not be this, a single smack is by no means a beating.

I'm not saying it's a great way to parent. But I was smacked as a child and never felt like I was being beaten into submission.

I can imagine that. Although I’ve not seen it in a few years when I worked in retail I’d see a few kids getting smacked and not bat an eyelid. The more I’m reading the more I think it’s something incredibly hard to police even where it’s illegal. Out of curiosity and don’t feel pressured to answer do you know any that do it now:have you seen them do it?

I agree with this. I don’t want to disregard anyone’s personal experience but I was smacked, sometimes more than once and sometimes with a hairbrush and never felt abused

They may have, but I think predominantly they have grown up in homes where they haven't seen how to effectively deal with anger and disagreements. That could be because their parents took to violence or it could be that the parents were physically absent or emotionally absent. People who lash out violently don't tend to be good at expressing themselves when under pressure.

To be honest, I think you're being unnecessarily kind there.

If other cultures widely condone beating children, beating wives, FGM, so-called 'honour killings' or similar, I see no reason why we shouldn't judge them.

Of course, there may well be things that are commonly accepted in British culture which other cultures find abhorrent - as they have every right to do.

I don’t hit my children. I lived in Wales once (where it’s illegal) and I saw a man in a restaurant hitting his son around the head. I can still remember the look of pain and embarrassment on the little boy’s face. I gave the father the filthiest look I could muster but, to my shame, didn’t call him on it.