Children’s Commissioners and peers demand ‘long overdue’ ban on hitting children in England

All four Children’s Commissioners of the nations of the UK united this week to call for a ban on hitting children in England.

Speaking ahead of the Second Reading of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill in the House of Lords, the Children’s Commissioners of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland released a joint statement for the repeal of the ‘reasonable punishment’ defence in England and Northern Ireland. Scotland and Wales have already outlawed physical punishment of children in 2020 and 2022. The Commissioners said:

‘As Children’s Commissioners we are united in our view that any defence in law that permits assault for the purpose of physical punishment of children is outdated and morally repugnant.’

The Government previously rejected an amendment put forward during the Bill’s passage through the House of Commons in favour of waiting for data from Wales, but peers made it clear in this week’s Second Reading of the Bill they will seek to bring about a ban on hitting children regardless.

Adding to pressure on the government were interventions by members of the House of Lords, including that of former Children’s Commissioner, Baroness Longfield. She called for ‘the removal of reasonable chastisement as a defence for physical punishment.’ Separately, Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle made clear that in debating the Bill she would ‘put a particular focus on extending to children in England the same protection from assault that children in Scotland and Wales have enjoyed, the so-called smacking ban that is surely long overdue.’ Baroness Walmsley, Lord Hampton, Baroness Finlay and Baroness Benjamin also all signalled their support for the ban.

Responding to the Lords raising the issue of repealing the reasonable punishment defence, Government Education Minister Baroness Smith of Malvern gave a non-committal response: ‘I feel sure that we will discuss issues around smacking in Committee. This Government are absolutely clear that no child should be subjected to violence or abuse.’

Humanists UK supports a repeal of the ‘reasonable punishment’ defence for hitting children. Earlier this year, it joined a coalition of children’s and medical organisations calling for an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to achieve this in England.

Humanists UK Education Campaigns Manager Kieran Aldred commented:

‘The Children’s Commissioners have made a powerful call for the protection of children against violence, and the Lords are willing to take this challenge to the Government. The Government’s contradictory position on wanting to protect children from violence or abuse while refusing to repeal the ‘reasonable punishment’ defence is untenable. Almost every other country in Europe bans the hitting of children, with Scotland’s ban in force since 2020. The excuse of waiting for data for only three years worth of data from Wales’ 2022 ban is a poor one for purposefully letting this opportunity to protect children from harm be ignored.