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[8 October 2008] - Moves to ban smacking come before parliament today with MPs facing a vote to abolish the defence of "reasonable punishment". The House of Commons will debate a cross-party amendment to the children and young persons bill, which would give children the same protection against physical assault as adults. An alliance of children's charities said a clear majority of MPs would support the abolition of smacking in a free vote. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats said their MPs could vote with their consciences, but the government is expected to impose a whip requiring Labour MPs to back the current law. Legislation in 2004 allowed parents to hit their children as long as they do not leave a bruise, graze or red mark. More than 100 Labour backbenchers have signed a private statement urging ministers to allow a free vote on this amendment, at the report stage of the bill. Kevin Barron, the Labour chairman of the Commons health committee, said: "How can reforms to stop hurting animals be more worthy of a free vote than a reform to stop hurting the most vulnerable human beings?" Last week the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child criticised the government for failing to prohibit corporal punishment in the family. Children's minister Beverley Hughes said: "Like most people – including most parents – we agree that smacking isn't a good thing and other means of controlling children's behaviour are preferable and probably more effective. "But neither do we support a ban which would make smacking a crime, and criminalise decent parents for a mild smack. The majority of parents support this common sense approach. "Both the Crown Prosecution Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers agree that the law as it stands gives them the power and discretion to act in the best interests of the child and the public interest." Already 19 other European countries that have banned corporal punishment in the family. The vote comes after an NSPCC survey last night revealed about 160,000 teenagers over the age of 15 have recently been beaten by parents trying to assert discipline. The children's charity poll of more than 1,900 parents showed one in eight children of all ages were smacked during the past six months. The survey found the peak age for hitting was when the child was four, but the charity was surprised to find how much physical punishment persisted into the mid-teens. About 7% of young people aged 15-17 had been hit by a parent in the last six months - equivalent to 160,000 pupils going through the final years in secondary school. Dame Mary Marsh, the charity's chief executive, said: "Parents who are hitting teenagers are likely to have been smacking their children since they were small - so it clearly isn't working. We fear these parents are hitting their children harder and harder. " Her view was supported by Rebecca Boden, 50, professor of management at University of Wales Institute in Cardiff, who is suffering brain damage after beatings as a child. A recent scan revealed scars from head trauma that was probably caused by persistent beatings from her father. She said: "It started when I was about 10. My father used to punch my head behind the ear - so it wouldn't leave a mark. "I was a tiny slip of a girl and my father was a 6ft 2in man. I would be thrown to the ground with the force of his blows. He used to literally fell me. "To adult eyes, I was being punished for being naughty. His blows were considered smacking and my teacher told me it was character building. "I endured eight years of being punched and hit around the head. I was so terrified that well into my teens, I would wet myself at the sight of a raised fist." Further information
pdf: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/oct/08/child.protection.smacking