UK must commit to a ban on physical punishment

Research consistently shows that there is a link between physical punishment and childhood aggression, antisocial behaviour and delinquency. The evidence is becoming so compelling that more organisations are adding their voice to the campaign to finally ban this practice in Scotland.

Last year, a report commissioned by NSPCC Scotland, Children 1st, Barnardo's Scotland and my office was published. Equally Protected? A review of the evidence on the physical punishment of children is an analysis of research, which builds a comprehensive picture of a practice that causes only pain and harm. It was welcomed by a range of expert bodies, including the Scottish Directors of Public Health and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

These organisations and others similarly concerned with adult health and welfare want the practice of violence against children banned, because they must deal with the consequences, and this is one area where prevention really is better than cure. Organisations such as these want to reignite the political debate around physical punishment, judging that there has been little political will to discuss it for a decade.

Physical punishment is tolerated in law only because it is a hangover from outdated social attitudes. We need to move our thinking on. In our UK Commissioners' report to the United Nations last year, we noted how physical punishment is tolerated in law across all four UK jurisdictions and recommended these laws be changed to give children the same protection from violence as adults.

Adults are protected from assault by law. Children and young people deserve the same. By not legislating on the basis of equal protection, we are out of step with Europe and, increasingly, the world. Forty-seven countries have made physical punishment illegal in all settings (outside as well as inside the home), while a further 52 are committed to law reform. The UK is one of only five countries within the EU that has not yet committed to a ban on all physical punishment.

Positive parenting strategies

There is a real opportunity to bring about positive change. The Scottish government's overarching approach is based on the twin principles of prevention and early intervention, and clearly articulates the right of all children to be nurtured, kept safe and have the best start in life.

Parents and carers should be supported in using positive parenting strategies, and we must reinforce the message that physical punishment damages children and has long-term effects. It is a message that is spreading wider throughout society, and more professionals are finding physical punishment in childhood a common factor when dealing with adult trauma and antisocial behaviour. Increasingly, there are many parents who have welcomed finding a different way to bring up their children without resorting to violence, recognising that it can be dangerous and sets children the wrong example. We must all acknowledge how vulnerable young children are and also how they absorb what they see and are exposed to into their own development.

Legislating against physical punishment would be a clear message that Scotland and the UK are ready to turn away from outdated and harmful practices. Health bodies are calling on the government to place this principle into law, and they are backed by evidence showing clearly that physical punishment is indeed detrimental to young people's potential to become happy and healthy adults. To get it right for every child, there can be no better way for the government to place children's rights at its heart than to listen to these voices and to ensure children have equal protection against violence in all settings, including the home.

Tam Baillie is children's commissioner for Scotland