Campaigners reject study on smacking children as ‘bunkum’ after NSPCC calls for it to be outlawed in NI

The University College London (UCL) study of 19,000 children concluded that those who are smacked at a young age are more likely to suffer from poor mental health and have behavioural problems through to their teenage years.

It found children did better if they experienced no Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), but that children who experienced three or more had the worst outcomes.

The most common ACEs were parental depression, harsh parenting, smacking, use of force between parents and parental alcohol misuse.

Commenting, Natalie Whelehan, of NSPCC Northern Ireland said: “The Northern Ireland Assembly is behind the curve on this issue and urgently needs to change the law so children in Northern Ireland have the same protection as those in other parts of the UK.”

However campaign group ‘Be Reasonable’, a coalition of academics and parenting experts backed by the Christian Institute, rejected the study, which it described as “bunk”.

A campaign spokesman said the study effectively groups parents who smack lightly once a month alongside those who physically abuse their children.

The spokesman added: “No reliable, scientific evidence exists to prove that mild and infrequent smacking does any harm to a child”.

Campaign supporter Professor Ellie Lee, Director of the Centre for Parenting and Culture Studies at the University of Kent, said: “This study provides no more basis than any other [study] for making smacking a criminal offence.

“Indeed, given the on-going debate about the concept of ACEs, what is most striking is the cavalier fashion in which an academic paper - that may or may not add much to understanding about child development - is used as the basis for taking forward this campaign.”

She added that it was “especially remarkable” that a pandemic lockdown would be seen as “an ideal opportunity” to do so.

Dr Stuart Waiton, a senior lecturer in sociology and criminology at Abertay University, added: “The mind-set that can take seriously this idea of one smack to an under three-year-old having ever lasting damage is what should worry us.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Alistair Bushe

Editor