Smacking ban is needed to protect children, health experts say
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.
But experts said these laws are 'vague and dangerous'.
Now 13 health organisations are calling on the Government to back an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill which would remove the 'reasonable punishment' defence from law in England.
They said that the Bill reaching committee stage in the House of Lords is a 'pivotal moment' in the smacking ban campaign.
Baroness Finlay has proposed an amendment to eliminate the 'reasonable punishment' defence.
In an open letter, the organisations said this defence is 'archaic' and 'allows for the physical punishment of children'.
'This leaves them with less protection from assault than adults, an unacceptable disparity in our modern society,' they wrote.
'The evidence is clear: physical punishment is harmful, ineffective, and has no place in a society that values the well-being of its children.'
The organisations called on the Government to 'stand on the side of our children and ensure their fundamental right to safety and protection', adding: 'By removing this archaic defence, we can send a clear message that violence against children is never acceptable.'
Professor Andrew Rowland, child protection officer at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and a consultant paediatrician, said: 'There is now strong agreement from health and social care professionals that the current laws around physical punishment of children, including smacking, are unjust, vague and ultimately dangerous.
'It is time to bring protection from physical assault for children in line with the protection afforded to adults.
'Every child deserves the best possible start to life, and eradicating physical punishment of children is a key part of that aim.'
Dr Elaine Lockhart, head of the Child and Adolescent Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, added: 'The physical punishment of children is not just cruel, it is dangerous: the practice has been shown to be detrimental to children's mental health and leads to poor developmental outcomes.'
Dr Tamasin Knight, from the British Medical Association's public health medicine committee, added: 'We believe that children should have full legal protection from all forms of physical punishment.'
The full list of signatories on the letter are: Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health; Faculty of Public Health; Royal Society of Medicine; School and Public Health Nurses Association; Institute of Health Promotion and Education; Institute of Health Visitors; Royal Society for Public Health; British Association for Child and Adolescent Public Health; British Medical Association; Royal College of Psychiatrists; Aldey Hey Hospital Charity; Alliance 4 Children and Barnardo's.
The Government has been approached for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Boys and girls should be taught about periods together in school, academics say
For many pupils they are given just two lessons about periods in their whole school career – one in primary and one in secondary, researchers have said. They have called for lessons on menstruation in schools to be much 'more comprehensive'. Since September 2020, relationships and sex education has been compulsory in secondary schools in England, while relationships education has been compulsory in primary schools. Professor Joyce Harper, from UCL Institute for Women's Health, said: 'Educating pupils about periods may now be compulsory in schools in England and Wales, but we know that for many of them that still only amounts to two lessons in their entire school career.' The researchers suggested that periods should be taught among mixed-sex groups, as well as single-sex groups, which some schools do not currently do. Prof Harper said: 'Our focus groups were also of the view that boys need to be part of that education. 'It was agreed that classes should not be segregated by gender, believing mixed sessions are crucial for boys' education. 'Although some saw value in single-sex classes to allow students to speak more freely, they still felt mixed sessions were essential to improve overall understanding. 'They suggested this could help boys understand and support their friends and future partners through menopause.' Overall, 55 women took part in the study divided into two groups based on age (18 to 25 and 26 to 40) and five focus groups were conducted for each group. They were recruited via social media, and many of the women were educated before the topic on menstruation became mandatory in English schools. The academics said menstruation is 'highly stigmatised' and a 'lack of education' about difficult periods restricts individuals from seeking help. Co-author Caroline Musulin, from UCL Institute for Women's Health, said: 'Many women endure menstrual problems longer than they should due to the inability to speak openly about uncertainties, fears of being dismissed by healthcare professionals, the view that it's 'just' a painful period or feelings of shame. 'Stigma, secrecy, and the expectation to 'cope' with painful periods contribute to the systemic dismissal of menstrual discomfort.' The latest statutory Government guidance on relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in schools says pupils should be taught about menstruation in primary and secondary school. The guidance, which was published last month, says pupils should learn the facts about the menstrual cycle, including physical and emotional changes, by the end of primary school to help them understand what to expect. By the end of secondary school, pupils should learn about menstrual and gynaecological health – including period problems such as premenstrual syndrome, heavy menstrual bleeding, endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome – as well as menopause, the guidance adds. The latest Department for Education (DfE) guidance says: 'RSE lessons should ensure that both boys and girls have opportunities to practise respectful communication and understand experiences which are different from their own, including menstruation and menopause.' Schools in England will have to follow the statutory RSHE guidance from September 2026. Sarah Hannafin, head of policy for school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'Teaching about periods is a vital part of health education for all pupils. 'Although many schools may separate classes to create a safe space for discussions on topics like this, mixed-sex groups should also be planned as it is vital that pupils understand others' experiences. 'Schools need freely available high-quality resources to support them to do this. 'Education about periods needs more than a single lesson but the curriculum in both primary and secondary schools is overcrowded and the new RSHE guidance has added a lot of new content without any additional time being created.' Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: 'We fully support the need for boys and girls to be taught about menstruation in a comprehensive manner which goes beyond biological facts and covers the wider effects on wellbeing. 'It is essential to be able to discuss this topic openly without misinformation or embarrassment. 'While it is covered in the RSHE curriculum we would welcome consideration of how teaching of this topic might be strengthened.' A DfE spokesperson said: 'Understanding menstruation is an important part of growing up, which is why we have brought in a new relationships, sex and health education curriculum to take effect next year, with clear guidance that pupils should be taught about both physical and emotional changes, as well as topics from endometriosis to heavy menstrual bleeding. 'As part of our plan for change, we're providing teachers with new resources to help them run great lessons on these issues, tackle stigma head-on and support every child to achieve and thrive.'
BBC News
16 hours ago
- BBC News
Junk food flooding young people's social media feeds, says study
Scrolling through social media with the images of burgers, milkshakes and sweets can often make people hungry, but does it have a negative effect as well? A health charity is warning that the constant stream of high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) content is a big health concern. A poll by Cancer Research UK suggests that children and teenagers are often exposed to unhealthy food content online, with young people interacting more with the content when it is shared by charity is calling on the government to do more to protect children and young people from "harmful marketing". The charity surveyed more than 4,000 young people aged 11 to found around half saw unhealthy food or drink products on social media posted by businesses or influencers in the last four in ten (39%) said they interacted with these posts by liking, commenting or number was higher for influencer content than it was for adverts from part of the study, 43 young people also took part in discussions around the topic and reported that seeing certain foods would make them particularly hungry."At least every two minutes that I'm on Instagram I'd see at least one food-related post," said one 15-year-old participant. Another, aged 11, said:"[There] is a giant cookie bowl that also keeps showing up," she said. "When I see it, I feel like ordering a dessert and I feel really hungry." High saturated fat, sugary and salty foods (such as cakes, biscuits, chocolate, crisps) can be eaten occasionally. The problem is eating too much of these foods can have big health impacts. The charity says that eating too much of these foods increases the likelihood of children becoming overweight which can lead to further health problems. In January 2026, new laws are to be bought in by the government to ban paid-for online advertising of specific high in fat, salt and sugar products, including on social media, alongside new rules for junk food ads on TV. Cancer Research UK says these changes have already faced delays."Advertising can shape what children eat, so the UK Government must help create an online environment that empowers, rather than undermines, healthy changes," Liv Cheek, prevention policy manager for the charity said.
The Sun
17 hours ago
- The Sun
State pension age could rise to 70 as DWP launches huge new review
FEARS have been raised that the state pension age could be increased to 70 as the Government has ordered a huge new review. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has commissioned the review of the official retirement age and said she would be considering automatic increases. 2 The review will look at whether it could be worth linking the state pension age to life expectancy. Ministers are considering changes to the state pension age as part of a bid to boost public finances. The state pension age is currently set at 66. Under current plans, it will rise to 67 between 2026 and 2028. It's then set to rise again to 68 between 2044 and 2046, with a review to be carried out every six years. Using 2022 projections, the average 66-year-old man in 2025 is projected to live another 19.2 years. This is expected to rise another 1.9 years by 2050. For women, the average 66-year-old can expect to live another 21.8 years. Their life expectancy will also increase by 1.9 years by 2050. Officials fear that with rising life expectancy and dropping birth rates, the cost of health and social care will increase dramatically in the coming years with an ageing population. How to track down lost pensions worth £1,000s It's estimated that a quarter of the UK's population will be aged 65 or older by 2050. Suzy Morrissey, who has been commissioned to review the official retirement age, said she will look at the experience of other countries that already automatically link payments to life expectancy. This is the case in Denmark, which recently raised its retirement age to 70. The call for evidence will also look at the mechanisms used in countries such as Finland, Italy and the Netherlands. Ms Morrissey said: "Most of us will expect to receive at least some state pension once we reach state pension age. "The impact of decisions around state pension age are far-reaching. Therefore, I want to make sure I have heard views from a broad range of organisations, experts and individuals throughout the course of my review, including those who have an interest in the wider social and economic impacts of an ageing society." Some experts have warned that automatic increases could create "chaos" in retirement plans. Former pensions minister and partner at LCP, Sir Steve Webb, told The Telegraph that automatically linking life expectancy to the state pension age could have increased it by up to eight years. "Having a completely automatic formula to move from changes in life expectancy to changes in state pension age could cause chaos for people's financial planning," he said. "Every time the population projections are updated, this could move the dates for pension age changes by up to a decade, which would make it impossible for people to plan for their retirement finances." Meanwhile research by Just Group found 62% of people retire before receiving the state pension, sometimes due to redundancy or ill health. Therefore increasing the state pension age further could mean more people being forced to retire before they can receive the state pension. Plus, the research showed more than 40% of current state pension recipients said the payments account for the majority of their income. How does the state pension work? AT the moment the current state pension is paid to both men and women from age 66 - but it's due to rise to 67 by 2028 and 68 by 2046. The state pension is a recurring payment from the government most Brits start getting when they reach State Pension age. But not everyone gets the same amount, and you are awarded depending on your National Insurance record. For most pensioners, it forms only part of their retirement income, as they could have other pots from a workplace pension, earning and savings. The new state pension is based on people's National Insurance records. Workers must have 35 qualifying years of National Insurance to get the maximum amount of the new state pension. You earn National Insurance qualifying years through work, or by getting credits, for instance when you are looking after children and claiming child benefit. If you have gaps, you can top up your record by paying in voluntary National Insurance contributions. To get the old, full basic state pension, you will need 30 years of contributions or credits. You will need at least 10 years on your NI record to get any state pension.
