Christian Institute calls on Stormont not to ban smacking with research which find no evidence of harm
A Christian public affairs group has advised against the proposed smacking ban being considered by Stormont after conducting major research which it says found no evidence of harm to children.
The warning follows an amendment to the current Justice Bill, tabled by Alliance MLA Michelle Guy, which aims to ban smacking of children - which is currently lawful if considered "reasonable chastisement".
The report comes in response to a UK-wide campaign to ban smacking led by NSPCC, the Royal College of Paediatrics and the charity Barnardo’s.
The Christian Institute (CI) report was compiled by researchers Sarah Aiken, James Kennedy and Alison Bowie and has been backed with a foreword by four senior academics;- Frank Furedi, emeritus professor of sociology, University of Kent; professor Ellie Lee, director, centre for parenting culture studies, University of Kent; Dr Stuart Waiton, senior lecturer in sociology and criminology, Abertay University and Dr Ashley Frawley, visiting researcher, centre for parenting culture studies, University of Kent.
Titled, Does Smacking Contribute to Negative Outcomes for Children?, the report reviews 37 peer-reviewed studies on smacking.
The CI report found:
l Previous research has never proven that physical punishment causes negative outcomes;l Parental warmth eliminates potential negative effects in loving homes;l Many studies used to justify banning smacking measure outcomes only at three to five years old.
James Kennedy, who is one of the authors, said: “Our new report confirms there is no evidence that mild smacking causes harm.“Because of this, a new law would do nothing to protect children. Instead, it would criminalise loving parents and divert police and social services away from genuine abuse cases. By blurring the distinction between ordinary parenting and assault, a ban would directly compromise child safety.”Dr Ashley Frawley said: “This report exposes the shaky foundations for claims that even the mildest physical discipline scars children for life. Policymakers at Stormont should prioritise real support for families over ideologically driven laws that ignore context and common sense.”
A spokesperson for NSPCC Northern Ireland said it continues to urge political parties and the public "to support giving children the same protection in law against assault as adults".
The NSPCC said almost 70 countries around the world, including Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, "have put measures in place to protect children from harm" but added that the defence of “reasonable chastisement” means children in Northern Ireland "are not fully protected".
The charity said that research in 2022 found that 71% of parents, carers and guardians in NI support a ban and that only 8% of parents supported it.
“Additionally, there is ever-growing evidence that physical punishment is not an effective form of discipline and can actually be harmful to children," she said.
"This includes a 2021 narrative review published by the Lancet which shows that physical punishment was not linked with any positive outcomes and was actually shown to increase children’s behavioural problems over time.”