Under the Children Act 2004, parents are allowed to "reasonablychastise" their children. This means a child can be smacked as long asit does not leave a mark or cause lasting physical damage.
This is in direct contravention to the UN Convention on the Rights ofthe Child, which bans physical punishment altogether, leadingcampaigners to warn that the law upholds adult human rights, but notchildren's.
If charged with common assault, parents can use the reasonablechastisement defence.
Physical punishment is banned in all settings outside the home,including schools and nurseries. But anyone employed privately by aparent, such as a babysitter or nanny, may smack a child if the parentgives permission.
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