No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Smacking children in the UK – are there links to socio-emotional difficulties in early childhood?
... A UK-wide study on MCS data analysed a sample of 6,674 children who were followed through the ages 3, 5 and 7, between the years 2004 and 2008. 44 The prevalence of any smacking as reported by the mother was highest when the children were 3 years old (66%) and decreased as they got older (56% at age 5 and 48% at age 7). However, when looking across time, it emerged that only 20% of all children had never been smacked at any point between the ages 3 and 7. ...
Equally Protected? A review of the evidence on the physical punishment of children 3 Foreword A positive start in life provides the foundations for good health and well-being. A supportive, nurturing and loving family environment is particularly important in early childhood to encourage and enable children to develop and reach their full potential. Wider society has a key role in protecting children through the creation of supportive conditions for families to flourish. Unfortunately in Scotland and across the UK many children do not have the best start in life. For many children, physical punishment is still part of their upbringing. This is despite the fact that physical punishment violates children's human rights according to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This excellent report has conducted a comprehensive review of the evidence on just how prevalent the physical punishment of children is, and what its effects are on the child and family. The evidence presented here is both alarming and compelling. Despite a steady decline in recent decades, physical punishment remains a common occurrence in many families in the UK. Public attitudes are however changing, with a noticeable shift towards viewing physical punishment as unacceptable in modern society. This review has presented very strong and consistent evidence of the harmful effects of physical punishment on children and their families. 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.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.