Stormont has been told by the Institute that a smacking ban could backfire and endanger children.
A new report by the CI shows that there is no evidence smacking causes lasting harm to children, and warned that a ban risks criminalising loving parents and diverting resources away from children in actual need.
The warning follows an amendment to the Justice Bill tabled by Alliance MLA Michelle Guy which seeks to criminalise parents for ‘reasonable chastisement’.
Lacking evidence
In summarising the report’s key findings, the Institute noted that while research into the effects of smacking has sometimes identified associations between physical punishment and negative outcomes like aggression or low self-esteem, causation has never been proven.
In contrast, the study’s authors found that in loving homes mild discipline may be linked to neutral or even positive outcomes, as parental warmth eliminates potential negative effects.
The CI also found that evidence on the impact of smacking was lacking, as many studies “measure outcomes only at very young ages (three to five years old), leaving gaps in understanding long-term effects”.
Compromise child safety
James Kennedy, NI Policy Officer for The Christian Institute, stated: “Our new report confirms there is no evidence that mild smacking causes harm.
“Because of this, a new law would do nothing to protect children. Instead, it would criminalise loving parents and divert police and social services away from genuine abuse cases.”
He continued: “By blurring the distinction between ordinary parenting and assault, a ban would directly compromise child safety.”
Backing the report, academic Dr Ashley Frawley from the University of Kent called on Stormont to “prioritise real support for families over ideologically driven laws that ignore context and common sense”.
Hundreds of parents criminalised under Wales’ smacking ban