It is extraordinary that the debate is still being had in England – we should focus on alternatives to physical discipline
Is it ever OK to inflict pain on a child to try to change their behaviour? It is a debate that has rumbled on for decades, yet if the minister responsible for children doesn’t see the harm in it, then we are no closer to ending it.
Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary, said this week that he doesn’t want to ban smacking in England because we could “end up in a world where the state is nannying people about how they bring up their children”. Zahawi’s nine-year-old daughter is lightly smacked, he said, when her behaviour justifies the punishment.
Sarah Ockwell-Smith is a mother of four and the author of 13 parenting books, including How to be a Calm Parent
