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The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Smacking ban urged amid growing belief child physical punishment ‘unacceptable'
Belief among young adults that use of force against a child is unacceptable has grown stronger in recent years according to new polling which has prompted campaigners to make a fresh call for a change in the law. Wales made any type of corporal punishment, including smacking, hitting, slapping and shaking, illegal in March 2022, while Scotland introduced a similar ban in November 2020. But it is not completely outlawed in England and Northern Ireland. According to the Children Act 2004, it is unlawful to hit your child, except where it is 'reasonable punishment', and this is judged on a case-by-case basis. New polling for the NSPCC, carried out by YouGov, suggests around eight in 10 people (82%) aged between 18 and 24 believe it is unacceptable for a parent to use force, however slight, against a child. This is an increase from 64% of young adults who thought it was unacceptable when polled in 2023. Among parents specifically, the figures have remained high in recent years, with the latest polling showing 81% felt this way, up slightly from 80% last year and from 76% in 2022. YouGov surveyed 3,800 adults across England in July, of which 749 were parents with a child under 18 and 198 were aged 18 to 24 years old. Of all adults surveyed, 71% said they believe physical punishment against a child is unacceptable, up from 67% in 2023. Earlier this year leading health experts came together to urge parliamentarians to give children the 'fundamental right to safety and protection' by backing a smacking ban. The children's doctors and psychiatrists said decades of research showed the 'detrimental effects of physical punishment'. On the latest figures, NSPCC chief executive Chris Sherwood said: 'Parents and young people are telling us loud and clear that they don't want physical punishment to be a part of anyone's childhood. 'Parents know their children and what works best for them. It is therefore crucial their experiences and opinions are not ignored or undermined, but act as a wake-up call. 'As parliamentarians continue to debate the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, we urge them to change the law to better reflect public attitudes to violence against children and ensure no childhood has to be tainted by physical punishment again.' In June, as part of debate on the Bill, Conservative peer Lord Jackson of Peterborough warned that introducing a smacking ban in England would be 'disproportionate and heavy-handed'. He argued 'reasonable chastisement' was harmless and calls to abolish it as a defence for punishing a child risked 'criminalising good and caring parents, as well as overloading children's services departments'. But, in the wake of the murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif in Woking in 2023, the UK's four children's commissioners jointly called for a wholesale smacking ban, describing the current situation where there is a legal defence in some nations as 'outdated and morally repugnant'. Sara's father – jailed for life in December 2024 alongside her stepmother for the little girl's murder – had claimed in a call to police after fleeing England that he 'did legally punish' his daughter and that he 'beat her up too much'. The children's commissioners insisted 'loving, well-meaning' parents have no need to be concerned about a change in the law. Lynn Perry, chief executive of Barnardo's, said: 'Violence against children is unacceptable – and yet children continue to have less legal protection against physical assault than adults. That cannot be right. This new data shows that most parents agree. 'Physical punishment like smacking is harmful to a child's health and development, and there's strong evidence that it influences their attitudes toward violence. At Barnardo's, we see first-hand how vital it is for children to feel safe and nurtured by those around them and to develop positive, healthy relationships. 'We have long campaigned for a change in the law to give children equal protection from assault and continue to call for action. It's time for all children to be legally protected from all physical punishment everywhere in the UK.' Commenting on the poll, Professor Andrew Rowland, officer for child protection at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: 'This latest research makes it clear that physical punishment has no place in modern parenting. 'Health professionals stand firmly with parents and young people in recognising that physical punishment is not only outdated and unjust, but also harmful to children's health and wellbeing. 'We urge the Government to listen to parents, young people, health professionals and the wider public and to finally remove the outdated and unfair 'reasonable punishment' defence.' A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'The landmark Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, a key part of our plan for change, represents the most transformative piece of child protection legislation in a generation, including wholesale reform of the children's social care system and better information sharing between education, health, and social workers to stop vulnerable children falling through the cracks. 'While we are looking closely at the legal changes made in Wales and Scotland in relation to smacking, we have no plans to legislate at this stage.'
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Port Talbot mechanic, 27, died after being crushed under car
A mechanic died after being crushed under a car he was working on, an inquest has Burton, 27, from Port Talbot, was found unresponsive underneath a car belonging to his partner's father on Southall Avenue, Skewen, Neath, on 22 Burton lived with his partner Abbie, her daughter Maddie-Mae, and had another child Benny, in what the hearing at Swansea Coroner's Court heard was a "lovely little family bubble".A coroner concluded Mr Burton's death was accidental as the axle stand which was holding up the vehicle had tipped onto its side, trapping him underneath. Mr Burton had qualified as a mechanic prior going to work at the Port Talbot steelworks, before taking voluntary was about to pass his MOT testers course at Bridgend College when the accident inquest heard how two passers-by found him trapped underneath the Audi A3 and raised the the hearing, Det Con Kelly Hurley said Mr Burton's partner had told him not to do the work on the car himself because it was "a big job" and it was "too dark" outside.A neighbour who had seen him working on the car had considered warning him that it looked unsafe because the vehicle was parked on a she decided against approaching him, as she felt he may not have "appreciated" the around 18:30 GMT two women who were looking for their car which had been stolen spotted Mr Burton under the Audi, and went to ask him whether he had seen their did not respond, which is when they noticed that he was pinned underneath the car he had been working inquest heard that a neighbour used a jack to lift the vehicle off Mr Burton's body in order to pull him out from emergency services were called and a paramedic declared that he had died at 18:53 and forensic enquiries were carried out and police decided there were no suspicious circumstances.A post-mortem examination concluded Mr Burton died as a result of traumatic asphyxia."This is also known as crush asphyxia," said Coroner Colin Phillips, adding: "Which sometimes happens in sports stadiums."He recorded a conclusion of accidental death and offered his condolences to Mr Burton's family."He was very much loved and will be sorely missed and I hope you get a degree of closure now," Mr Phillips added.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Mechanic father-of-two, 27, was crushed to death while working on car at home, inquest heard
A mechanic father-of-two was crushed to death while repairing his own car when the axle stand propping up the vehicle gave way. Daniel Burton, 27, was discovered unresponsive and trapped under the Audi A3, at his partner's home in Skewen, Neath Port Talbot, on January 22, an inquest has heard. Despite the efforts of emergency services, Mr Burton was pronounced dead at the scene, WalesOnline reported. The inquest heard how the keen mechanic had that day attended college where he was working towards an MOT qualification, before enjoying time with his partner and children at Penlan Leisure Centre. When they returned home, Mr Burton was said to be keen to fit a part that had been delivered for his car despite it being dark outside. Passersby told Guildhall court in Swansea that they had seen the vehicle - which was parked on a sloped street - propped up on the driver's side, while the rear wheels had been removed. They had seen Mr Burton lying on his back underneath the car. One commented she had thought the car looked 'unsafe' but did not want to intervene. At around 6.30pm, a local resident stopped to ask the mechanic if he had spotted her recently-stolen car in the nearby streets - but she received no response from him. She ran off to find help and a neighbour arrived with a jack in an attempt to lift the car off Mr Burton. They also informed his partner as to what had happened. Emergency crews arrived at the scene, but were unable to save the father-of-two and he was pronounced dead at 6.53pm. A police investigation found that one of the axle stands under the car was lying on its side, while a postmortem determined he had died from 'crush asphyxiation'. The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death. Tributes posted at the time of the tragedy described Mr Burton as a 'beloved son', 'cherished partner' and 'devoted father', adding he would be 'greatly missed by all his family and many friends'. He was 'passionate' about football and had played for Neath Town, Aberavon Greenstars and more recently, Cilfrew Rovers. A fundraising appeal, organised by local sports clubs that Mr Burton was involved with, raised more than £3,000 for his grieving family. Organisers said: 'Dan was an amazing person, he would light up every room he entered and he will be sorely missed by so many. 'He was a down to earth person, a great friend, a great father and will be a tremendous loss to everyone that knew him.'
