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-137

CADRP-137

 

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)

The law already protects children from violence and abusive parents/guardians. A disciplinary smack in the correct context is appropriate and occasionally a necessary deterrent. It is wholly misleading to describe a loving parent as violent. This is not child abuse. Children cannot be treated in the same way as adults obviously; it is a parents role to bring them up with respect for their parents, seniors and those in authority over them. They are dependent on parents to teach them right from wrong. There are occasions when a smack is necessary and one finds that as the child grows they hardly ever need further physical deterrents as the threat is enough.

There is no need to change the law; a total waste of taxpayers money. Rather use the resources to prosecute those that truly abuse children and support those little ones. The police/social workers would be overwhelmed by trivial reports so real cases of abuse are missed.

Removing any REASONABLE chastisement defence would be unprecedented interference in family life - producing a nanny state.

 

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

Enforce the current law as it stands and find the true abusers.

You cannot criminalise a loving parent for disciplining a child because he has given a child a snack on the bottom/Leg, it’s absurd

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)

How could you possibly police such a “crime”. Are teachers going to police it and be expected to ask children”does your mummy or daddy ever hit you”. The child would not understand the difference between the terminology smack(disciplinary) and hit(abusively).

3/4 welsh and Scottish parents are against criminalising smacking

A total unnecessary waste of money.

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)

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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)

You can jeopardise children’s safety by criminalising parents. Smacks are sometimes used to warn from danger when children are too young to understand a verbal warning.

It is very bad for children, families and society as a whole when children are not properly disciplined.

Most adults have been smacked by parents in the past and have turned out to be upstanding members of society. They do not think they were abused as children. Changing the law would unravel our society even further.

(Look what has happened to discipline in schools since the threat of corporal punishment was withdrawn. Some Children have no respect for authority and the poor teachers have very little disciplinary measures to take when verbal commands are abused.)

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)

All of the money involved in this consultation, then more money into implementing it and then even more money to uphold the law in criminalising loving morally uptight parents is unjust, unethical and totally wasteful.

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)

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