'More support' for smacking ban

The Welsh Government says there has been a fall in the number of parents of young children in Wales who said they smack their children and only a minority of parents said they are comfortable with the idea.

It found 11% of parents with young children reported they had smacked their children in the last 6 months as a way of managing their behaviour. This figure has halved from 22% in 2015.

The research shows 81% of parents disagreed that “it is sometimes necessary to smack a naughty child”, an increase from 71% in 2015.

The number of parents who reported they may smack a child under certain circumstances has fallen from 44% to 31%.

Parents reported using a wide variety of alternative techniques to manage their children’s behaviour. The most frequently reported techniques were:

• Praising good behaviour,

• Developing routines,

• Saying no, and

• Telling them off.

The Welsh Government plans to end the physical punishment of children in Wales.

When parents were asked whether there should be a complete ban on smacking 48% agreed with a ban and 39% disagreed.

There has been a small change in support for the ban since 2015 when 46% agreed and 43% disagreed.

It is currently against the law for a parent or carer to physically punish their child, except where this amounts to ‘reasonable punishment’.