Good parents will be turned into criminals.
Stop the smacking ban
Don’t let good parents be turned into criminals.
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Why The Law Needs To Remain Unchanged…
Police and social workers will be flooded with trivial cases, leaving them struggling to stop genuine child abuse.
Parents should decide whether to smack their children, not the government.
The current law already protects children from abuse. It needs to be enforced, not changed.
“Yeah, but…”
Answers to common arguments in favour of changing the law to criminalise parents
"Good Parents Are Not At Risk From A Change In The Law"
"Smacking Is A Form Of Child Abuse"
"Children Should Have The Same Protection As Adults"
"Smacking Teaches Children To Use Violence"
"Smacking Is A Grey Area In The Law - It's Safer To Just Ban It"
Be Reasonable – Stop the assault on parenting
FAQs
MoreWhat is being proposed?
Currently parents in England are protected from being charged with assault if they smack their own children under the ‘reasonable chastisement defence’. Campaigners propose to remove this protection.
Does the law need to be changed?
No. Any discipline that is immoderate or excessive is already against the law. The reasonable chastisement defence could not be used in cases where ‘actual bodily harm’ is caused – defined as anything more than transitory reddening of the skin. If a parent uses unreasonable chastisement they already face a fine, a community order or up to five years in jail.