Province 'needs law against smacking'

In its submission in response to the Office of Law Reform's consultation on the future of physical punishment of children, the NSPCC said the current law on smacking in Northern Ireland was confusing for parents and professionals involved in protecting children and supporting families. It said the law also does not comply with either international standards or Northern Ireland equality legislation.

The NSPCC said it had found that smacking has fallen out of favour with the majority of parents in Northern Ireland, who say they now find other types of child discipline to be more effective and acceptable. Research conducted by the organisation in 2000 found that more than two-thirds (69 per cent) of parents considered other forms of discipline to be more effective than smacking, and that more than nine out of ten parents (91 per cent) thought children should have the same right to protection from assault as adults, while just under one-third (32 per cent) said they supported a change in the law to make the physical punishment of children illegal in the Province.