The long-run consequences of hitting children: why England needs to ban smacking

ICLS Director, Professor Yvonne Kelly has been invited to write an opinion piece for iNews outlining the evidence that she and colleagues have produced showing that smacking children not only does not work to stop bad behaviour, but causes long term harms to children as they grow up. 

Professor Kelly and colleagues undertook a comprehensive review of the evidence on the harms of smacking in 2015 and the report was used to propose and pass new legislation in Scotland giving children the same protection as adults against physical violence. 

Writing for the newspaper, Professor Kely explains that the research showed that hitting children can make behaviour worse and have long lasting effects on their mental and physical health. She calls on policymakers around the world to share this information with parents and carers, and to create societies where children are safe from physical punishment in the home and all other settings.