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-85	CADRP-85

About you

Individual

1 The Bill’s general principles

1.1 Do you support the principles of the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill?

— No

1.2 Please outline your reasons for your answer to question 1.1

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

I strongly believe that loving parents should not be turned into criminals because they use smacking as discipline. The backlash from making smacking illegal would mean that the police and social workers would be overwhelmed with cases to investigate and could miss real abuse cases because of the sheer volume of work. I believe that our laws already protect children from abuse and so do not need to be altered.

1.3 Do you think there is a need for legislation to deliver what this Bill is trying to achieve?

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

No, our laws already protect children from abuse. A smack delivered as loving discipline is not abuse and therefore parents who use this method should not be criminalised.

I was smacked as a child and certainly do not consider that my parents abused me. Their discipline was loving and fair and taught me respect.

Surely it is up to parents how to discipline their child, and what works for one does not work for another, only parents know their individual children, not the state.

A ComRes poll in 2017 found that 76% of Welsh adults were against banning smacking.

2 The Bill’s implementation

2.1 Do you have any comments about any potential barriers to implementing the Bill? If no, go to question 3.1

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

Surely the sheer volume of unnecessary work that it would entail is a huge barrier. Whilst investigating cases that are quite simply, not abuse, real abuse cases could be missed.

2.2 Do you think the Bill takes account of these potential barriers?

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

No, it takes no account of the barriers at all

3 Unintended consequences

3.1 Do you think there are there any unintended consequences arising from the Bill? If no, go to question 4.1

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

As mentioned above there will be consequences, real abuse cases could be missed because police and social workers will be so busy investigating all the cases.

I also think it is very important that children should be properly disciplined, they need to learn what is right and proper behaviour.

It can be seen from statistics where smacking has been banned, Sweden for example, that where parents are unable to correct their children then breakdown of discipline in schools, plummeting grades and a rise in anxiety disorders among teens (Professor David Eberhard)

Also in New Zealand a top lawyer has concluded that the smacking ban has criminalised ordinary parents.

4 Financial implications

4.1 Do you have any comments on the financial implications of the Bill (as set out in Part 2 of the Explanatory Memorandum)? If no, go to question 5.1

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

5 Other considerations

5.1 Do you have any other points you wish to raise about this Bill?

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)