Smacking

Smacking in the UK

[Name of the InstitutionSmacking in the UK

Introduction

Child smacking is a phenomenon that is considered to be unacceptable by many but the nature of punishment for this crime is questioned by many. It is a very sad to notice that in a country like UK, if you hit an adult you can face charges that can ultimately lead you to prison. However, if you hit someone below the age of 18 then the laws are so vaguely defined that it is safe to say that there are no consequences of this crime. Child smacking has been wrongly used to modify or change children behaviour but it is common sense that if parents lash out on kids, the immediate response of the kid would be to do the same (Anonymous 2010, p.14).

The UK is now among the only four countries in the whole Europe, who have yet to enforce laws banning physical smacking (Adams 2012, p.2). Until recently, it was even lawful to use any implement to hit a child in the UK by allowing parents to exercise “reasonable chastisement”. This clause served a wonderful loop hole for sad doers to commit crimes against children rights and was rarely brought to justice. There are certain changes that are brought into the laws, and the international community is also realizing its responsibility to force UK to enforce banning of smacking.

There is a need to understand the reasons and opinions that parents and children regarding the issue and the role that the legislatures have to play in order to safeguard the rights of minors. We need to analyse the prominent reasons that are used by the supporters of pro-smacking to a reasonable extend and the arguments of those who support banning smacking once and for all.

Discussion

The attitudes and perceptions held by parents have changed over the years. A lot of them want to learn and adapt to ways that can help them bring positive change to their child's behaviour. However, there are some who have led to believe that smacking should be banned by law. The national survey conducted by Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC0 in 2003 concluded that almost 40% of parents believed that smacking is not acceptable under any condition whereas, half of the parents surveyed said that it was sometimes acceptable.

Why is there such a vast difference in opinion held by the parents? This can be attributed to the fact that, in certain areas of United Kingdom, smacking children is considered to be a part of the daily repertoire (Hayes 2009, p.26). They consider smacking a viable source to maintain discipline and boundaries between parents and children. They believe that if they do not occasionally retaliate towards the unacceptable behaviour, the child might start considering it as acceptable. They relate to the old and tested stick and carrot approach to settling issues but rarely use the carrot approach at all.

In a survey conducted by GFK NOP for a television documentary, 1939 adult were asked questions regarding ...