Consultation on the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill
Tystiolaeth i’r Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg ar gyfer craffu Cyfnod 1 Bil Plant (Diddymu Amddiffyniad Cosb Resymol) (Cymru) |
Evidence submitted to the Children, Young People and Education Committee for Stage 1 scrutiny of the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill |
CADRP-451 |
CADRP-451 |
About you
Individual
— No
(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
The central issue is whether parents love and care for their children. They are the ones that know their children best and sense how they respond. A mild smack by a caring parent is not physical abuse. Excessive force is clearly not acceptable – and is currently covered by law.
Regular shouting at children has been shown to be damaging:
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2001/mar/21/schools.familyandrelationships
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/tech-support/201611/the-enduring-pain-childhood-verbal-abuse
Is shouting at children to be made illegal? If the Assembly is to ban smacking, for which the evidence is ambiguous, shouldn’t this be done too?
This is a dangerous path to follow.
(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
No.
Excessive physical force is currently covered by the law.
We are already in a situation where the current law is being broken and violence against children, women and vulnerable is widespread - and the police forces are swamped, being unable to enforce the current law.
Is it logical to extend the law into the homes of caring parents and make the law even less enforceable? Surely, we should enable the police to enforce the current law, rather than introducing additional laws where the supporting scientific evidence is ambiguous.
(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
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Caring parent training their children with a mild smack will be made criminals.
Enforcement will disrupt families. Violence against children is rife currently - and the law is not being enforced across the country. Publicity and political influence will focus on smacking where there is no danger with inevitable consequences for police time and effort. It is not difficult to predict that detection of physical and sexual abuse against children will be detected to a lesser extent as a result of diverted police resources.
(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
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(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
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