More than two-thirds of adults in England believe it is wrong for parents or carers to physically punish their child, a survey has found.
In a YouGov poll of nearly 3,000 adults commissioned by the NSPCC, 68% said they felt that physically disciplining a child, for example by smacking them, was unacceptable.
Today, Wales abolished 'reasonable chastisement' as a defence for hitting children. The poll revealed that the public in England are largely in agreement with changing the law on the issue too, with 64% stating that the law should be changed so that children have the same legal protections against assault as adults.
Barnardo’s Chief Executive Lynn Perry said:
“Barnardo’s frontline workers say that eliminating physical punishment brings significant benefits to families and helps to create a safe and nurturing environment for children. The NSPCC’s new polling confirms that a majority of the public recognise this too.
“For all these reasons we support the call to make physical punishment of children illegal across the UK to ensure they have the same protection as those in Scotland and Wales."