It's time to make hitting children illegal in England

And yet, if an adult does the same to a child in England and Northern Ireland, they can claim the defence of “reasonable punishment.” Not only is this entirely unreasonable, but it is also an absurd excuse for assaulting a child.

Children need to feel safe with parents and caregivers. They need to feel understood and heard. Physical punishment of any stripe doesn’t fulfil any of these needs. It actually does the complete opposite. And the harm runs more than skin deep.

Scientific evidence has shown how physical punishment can damage children’s health and development  and worsen their behaviour. Children who are violently disciplined are more likely to have trouble regulating their emotions and conflict solving. It can even cause long-lasting mental health problems like anxiety and depression.

It also teaches children that violence is acceptable, which, unsurprisingly, makes them more likely to be violent to their peers, parents, and eventually even their own children. This choice is then defended with the line, “I was smacked as a child and I am fine”, another absurd argument I have heard too many times.

We know that children aged 3 and 4 are the most likely to be physically punished, but it affects children of all ages, including children as young as one. These early years are the most critical stage in a child’s development – and their experiences and environment play a major part in how they develop.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. The cycle can and should stop. Most countries in Europe – including Scotland and Wales – have banned corporal punishment. Sweden was the first to do so more than 45 years ago.

Right now, a Bill on Children's Wellbeing and Schools is going through Parliament. It is an opportunity to change the law in England so that children have the same protection from assault as adults. Likewise, the Justice Bill offers the opportunity to make this vital change in Northern Ireland.

A complete ban on physical punishment is a crucial step to prevent violence against children, as outlined in our new report. It sends a clear message that hurting children is never acceptable, which, in time, helps shift attitudes and actions. We stand with the NSPCC and campaigners who delivered a letter signed by numerous charities and experts, including UNICEF UK, to Number 10 last week, urging a permanent end to the physical punishment of children in England.

And let’s be clear. A ban on corporal punishment in all settings does not mean that children who have experienced supposedly “milder” forms of violence will be removed from their families, and their parents and caregivers put through legal proceedings. Experience shows that, when done well, families are referred to support services and parenting programmes which have extraordinarily positive effects for both parents and children.

Giving families the support they need to parent in ways that nurture children’s development is vital. In countries that have banned corporal punishment and given parents access to positive parenting programmes and support, parents' attitudes changed, and violence decreased even more than in countries where laws were not accompanied by support.

The bottom line is that the combination of prohibiting physical punishment of children in all settings, while supporting families, protects children's right to live free from violence that benefits society as a whole. For example, one study of nearly half a million adolescents across 88 countries found that youth violence was lower in countries that had banned corporal punishment. It's high time that the UK became truly united on this front.

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Aaron Greenberg is UNICEF Regional Adviser for Child Protection in Europe and Central Asia.

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