Smacking children to be banned in Scotland
Scotland is set to become the first part of the UK to introduce an outright ban on smacking children, after the Scottish government confirmed it would ensure that a member’s bill to give children equal protection from assault becomes law.
John Finnie, the justice spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, has proposed a member’s bill to remove the defence of “justifiable assault” from Scottish law, giving children the same legal protection as adults.
A Scottish government spokesperson said: “Mr Finnie’s proposals are not a Scottish government bill; however, we will ensure the proposals become law. We believe physical punishment can have negative effects on children, which can last long after the physical pain has died away. We support positive parenting through, for example, funding for family support services.”
Finnie said on Thursday: “Giving children equal protection against assault will send a clear message to all of us about how we treat each other and underpin Scotland’s efforts to reduce violence.
“The physical punishment of children is already illegal in 52 countries and my proposal will give children in Scotland the necessary protections to flourish in a healthy environment and encourage the building of stronger relationships between children, their parents and others who care for them.”
The UK is currently one of four countries in the European Union that have not committed to legal reform over the physical punishment of children. The Welsh government announced in June its own plans to consult on removing the defence of “reasonable chastisement” for parents.
A three-month public consultation on Finnie’s proposed bill, which took place over the summer, received an overwhelmingly positive response from organisations and individuals, including the Scottish Police Federation, Unicef UK and the NSPCC.
Finnie’s bill received a further boost as Scottish Labour said supporting it was “the right thing to do”. The party’s education spokesman, Iain Gray, said: “Labour MSPs have discussed John Finnie’s bill and do believe that the time has come to provide children with the same protection as adults under the law.”
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/19/smacking-children-to-be-banned-in-scotland
John Finnie, the justice spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, has proposed a member’s bill to remove the defence of “justifiable assault” from Scottish law, giving children the same legal protection as adults.
A Scottish government spokesperson said: “Mr Finnie’s proposals are not a Scottish government bill; however, we will ensure the proposals become law. We believe physical punishment can have negative effects on children, which can last long after the physical pain has died away. We support positive parenting through, for example, funding for family support services.”
Finnie said on Thursday: “Giving children equal protection against assault will send a clear message to all of us about how we treat each other and underpin Scotland’s efforts to reduce violence.
“The physical punishment of children is already illegal in 52 countries and my proposal will give children in Scotland the necessary protections to flourish in a healthy environment and encourage the building of stronger relationships between children, their parents and others who care for them.”
The UK is currently one of four countries in the European Union that have not committed to legal reform over the physical punishment of children. The Welsh government announced in June its own plans to consult on removing the defence of “reasonable chastisement” for parents.
A three-month public consultation on Finnie’s proposed bill, which took place over the summer, received an overwhelmingly positive response from organisations and individuals, including the Scottish Police Federation, Unicef UK and the NSPCC.
Finnie’s bill received a further boost as Scottish Labour said supporting it was “the right thing to do”. The party’s education spokesman, Iain Gray, said: “Labour MSPs have discussed John Finnie’s bill and do believe that the time has come to provide children with the same protection as adults under the law.”
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/19/smacking-children-to-be-banned-in-scotland