Parents in Scotland may no longer be allowed to smack their children if a law is passed to make physical punishment illegal.
MSPs are set to vote on a smacking ban which would give children the same protection from violence as adults by removing the defence of justifiable assault.
It would become the first country in the UK to make physical punishment a criminal offence.
Under current laws, parents and carers can use “reasonable” force to discipline their children.
All physical punishment is already banned in schools and other educational settings.
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The Scottish Parliament already voted by 80 votes to 29 to pass the bill through the first stage, but it will face a final vote today.
Scottish Greens MSP John Finnie – a former police officer – introduced the bill, arguing that “physical violence has no place in 21st century Scotland”.
He called for cross-party support for the “vital legal protections for Scotland’s children” which he says will bring the country up to international standards.
Ahead of the vote, he said: “This evening the Scottish Parliament has the opportunity to show courageous leadership by putting in place vital legal protections for Scotland’s children.
“It is staggering that our smallest and most vulnerable citizens are the only people who do not currently have this protection, and now is the time to rectify that.”
He added: “The international evidence tells us that it can have serious adverse impacts on children, and that it is not effective.
“It is time for parliament to put an end to it tonight.”
School psychologists have warned that smacking can damage a child’s mental health.
A Sky Data poll conducted last year found 64% of people in Britain believe “unreasonable” smacking should be a crime.
However opinion polls have suggested that a majority of people in Scotland are opposed to a smacking ban.
Opponents of the bill say it could criminalise thousands of parents for disciplining their children.
Jamie Gillies, from the campaign group Be Reasonable, says the ban could “end up doing more harm than good” and risk making the jobs of police officers and social workers harder.
“Seeking to further the protection of children is highly commendable, but a smacking ban is not the way to do it,” he said.
“The government should invest in current services, which are already hard-pressed, and bolster their ability to identify and tackle abuse.”
Source : Sky News : http://news.sky.com/story/scotland-could-be-first-in-uk-to-ban-smacking-11825966
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