A leading medical organisation is urging England to outlaw the physical punishment of children. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) is arguing that the practice poses significant risks to children's well-being. RCPCH has called for legal reform to eliminate the current provision that allows parents to use physical punishment under the justification of "reasonable punishment." The group emphasises that overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrates the harmful physical and emotional consequences of smacking.

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Professor Andrew Rowland, a consultant paediatrician and RCPCH officer for child protection, highlighted that 67 countries have already implemented bans on smacking, with an additional 20 committed to following suit. "The defence of reasonable punishment has been in place in England since 1860 and was later reinforced by the Children Act of 2004. It is time to leave this practice behind. The proposed amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill would achieve that if passed," Rowland stated.

Scotland led the way in the UK by outlawing smacking in 2020, followed by Wales in 2022. However, in England and Northern Ireland, physical punishment remains legal, with the definition of "reasonable punishment" determined on a case-by-case basis. Labour MP Jess Asato, who introduced the amendment, underscored the compelling evidence of the detrimental health effects of physical punishment. "The research is clear: assaulting children has serious consequences. That is why so many nations, including Scotland and Wales, have taken steps to ensure children receive the same legal protection from assault as adults."

The debate over child protection gained renewed urgency in December, following the tragic murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif by her father and stepmother. Dame Rachel de Souza, the children's commissioner for England, called for immediate legal changes, describing the case as a "heartbreaking reminder of the profound weaknesses in our child protection system."

Reflecting on the tragedy, de Souza remarked, "What haunts me most about Sara's death is that her father believed he could justify his actions by claiming he had 'legally punished' his child. This highlights the urgent need for reform." With growing pressure from medical experts, policymakers, and child welfare advocates, the movement to ban smacking in England is slowly gaining momentum.