Failure to ban smacking branded ‘huge missed opportunity’
The findings emerge just days after an amendment to remove the criminal defence of ‘reasonable punishment’ for children was abandoned in Northern Ireland (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Researchers have criticised the failure to outlaw smacking in England and Northern Ireland, calling it a “huge missed opportunity and deeply disappointing”.
A new analysis by University College London (UCL), supported by the NSPCC, found that physical punishment is linked to poorer academic results and increased antisocial behaviour in children.
The UCL study revealed that children in England who experienced physical punishment were significantly more likely to fail key GCSEs and engage in aggressive behaviour by age 14.
While Wales and Scotland have banned all forms of corporal punishment, England and Northern Ireland continue to retain the legal defence of “reasonable punishment”.
Despite calls from children’s commissioners for a wholesale ban, the Department for Education stated it has no plans to legislate on smacking in England at this stage.
