Should parents be allowed to smack their children?
Self-study activity:
Watch this short video and answer the questions below. The activity is suitable for Intermediate 2 students.
1 What has the United Nations report recommended?
2 What does '18' refer to?
3 According to the report, what is smacking similar to?
4 What forms of discipline should parents use?
5 When can parents be prosecuted under the current law?
A United Nations report has recommended that (1) Britain should pass laws to ban parents from smacking their children at home. The directions were issued by the UN Human Rights Committee as it published an assessment of legal and cultural issues in the UK. (2) 18 experts - who make up the body - found that the UK should take practical and legal steps to put an end to corporal punishment. Meaning it believes smacking at home to be (3) a form of corporal punishment. The report also says Britain should encourage campaigns which back (4) non-violent forms of discipline. Parents are not explicitly banned from striking their children. The law currently allows for "reasonable chastisement" to control a child's behaviour. But parents can be prosecuted (5) if their actions result in injuries such as bruises, cuts or scratches. On the current policy, a Government spokeswoman said:
Their policy on smacking is clear. They do not condone violence towards children. At the same time, they don't wish to criminalise parents for issuing a mild smack. The review is made up of international experts who monitor the implementation of civil and political rights. It's the first review of Britain since 2008.
