The Education Secretary has expressed that she is “open-minded” about banning smacking children. However, she clarified that the Government does not have any immediate plans to change the law.
Bridget Phillipson mentioned that she wants to hear more from experts on how such a ban might be implemented. This represents a shift from the previous Conservative government’s stance, which emphasized that disciplining children is a parental responsibility.
Her comments follow statements from Children’s Commissioner Rachel de Souza, who argued that a smacking ban is an essential measure for safeguarding children. De Souza suggested that England should adopt similar laws already in place in Scotland and Wales. When asked about her support for this idea during an interview on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Phillipson said, “We are considering it, but this is not an area where we intend to bring forward legislation any time soon.”
She added, “I’d be keen to hear from the Children’s Commissioner and from others about how this would work. I’m open-minded on it. It’s not something we intend to legislate on, but I think we do need to look at how we keep children safe.”
Phillipson also pointed out that the upcoming Children’s Wellbeing Bill, which will be presented “by the end of the year,” aims to address various issues related to children’s social care and safeguarding.
The previous Conservative government stated that while it does not support violence against children, it believes there are “clear laws in place to prevent it.” They argued that parents should be trusted to manage their own discipline.
However, advocates for children’s rights are urging an end to the legal defense of “reasonable chastisement,” which is outlined in the Children’s Act of 2004 and can be used by parents if prosecuted for smacking their children.
Children’s charity Barnardo’s, which has long supported a smacking ban, praised the Education Secretary’s comments. Chief Executive Lynn Perry stated, “We are pleased that a ban on smacking children in England is under consideration. All violence against children is unacceptable. We know it is harmful to children’s health and development, and there is strong evidence that it influences their attitudes towards violence. It’s time for children to be legally protected from physical punishment everywhere in the UK.”
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