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-313 |
CADRP-313 |
About you
Individual
— Yes
(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
The current law is not clear. It is difficult to make an unequivocal argument to other parents in my community. I welcome the change so that I can say to parents physical punishment of children is against the law.
Equality: it’s because children should have the same protection from assault as adults do. The smallest most vulnerable members of our society should not have less protection
Children’s Right: this change will help realise children’s rights to Article 19 - protection from violence and abuse. The Committee on the Rights of the Child has asked the UK to prohibit corporal punishment by removing the reasonable punishment defence 3 times. I am pleased that Welsh Government is leading the way in the UK and doing this.
There is unequivocal high quality evidence globally that not only does physical punishment not work, but that it is harmful for children. In the Equally Protected report (https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/2015/equally-protected/ ) Sir Michael Marmot said in the forward ‘The international evidence could not be any clearer - physical punishment has the potential to damage children and carries the risk of escalation into physical abuse’ .
Physical punishment does not work and because it does not work there is a danger of it escalating into physical abuse and in some cases has lead to the death of children.
(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
Yes
(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
No
(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
Yes
(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
No
(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
No
(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
No