More than 90 per cent of children rejected the use of physical punishment in a survey conducted by Save the Children in Scotland. Three quarters of children questioned for the It Doesn't Sort Anything report believe it is absolutely wrong for a parents or other adults ever to hit a child, with one 11-year-old saying, 'I think it's not fair and I'd prefer children loving me and obeying me than being scared of me and obeying me.'
The Scottish Executive is currently considering proposals to ban the smacking of children under three and the hitting of children of any age with an implement. This has been welcomed by Save the Children in Scotland, but the charity believes it does not go far enough and wants a total ban on smacking.
The report, which gives the views of more than 1,300 children from across Scotland, found that children feel confused because the same adults who tell them hitting is wrong use hitting themselves. Children often saw smacking as a result of parents' stress and they expressed concern about injury which could result from physical punishment. Nine-year-old Amy said, 'A grown-up could seriously injure or kill a child.'
Children as young as six years old made a link between the use of violence at home and violent behaviour in society, including bullying. Six-year-old Sally commented, 'Children who are smacked might smack lots of people when they are older.'
Report author and policy and research worker Elizabeth Cutting said, 'Today's report is important as it considers the views of children, and they are the ones on the receiving end of physical punishment.
'We can see clearly now how distressing and humiliating they find the experience - any level of violence can have an intense physical and emotional impact on children.'
Save the Children in Scotland's assistant director Susan Elsley said, 'We need to be promoting other ways of dealing with children's behaviour that help parents, help children and don't include physical punishment.'
