Most Scottish parents no longer smack children

31 October 2008 1 min read Early Years Social Care

Parents in Scotland are increasingly likely to opt for discipline methods such as the 'naughty step', rather than smacking their children, according to a recent poll.

An Ipsos Mori survey of more than 1,000 parents commissioned by Parenting Across Scotland found only five per cent of parents had smacked their child "fairly often" or "sometimes" during the last year.

A further 15 per cent had smacked their child once or twice during that time. Less than one per cent of parents believe that smacking has any effect on their child's behaviour, with parents using methods such as the "naughty step", according to the poll.

Tom Roberts, head of public affairs at Children 1st, a member of the Children are Unbeatable Alliance, which campaigns to end physical punishment of children, said:

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