PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(16 December 2024)

This government does not condone violence or abuse of children. There are laws in place to protect children against this.

Crown Prosecution Service guidance is clear that only the mildest form of physical punishment can be used to justify discipline. Where a defence is unsuccessful, the usual sentencing powers for charges of assault and/or battery would be available for courts to consider.

The department is looking closely at changes in Wales and Scotland but has no plans to legislate at this stage.

We recognise that parents have different views and approaches to disciplining their children and that we need to consider all those voices, including those that might be disproportionally affected by the removal of the defence, as well as the voice of the child and trusted stakeholders in making any decisions.

The government encourages the use of evidence-based parenting programmes. Many such programmes address the issue of managing children’s behaviour and promote positive parenting. This does not include the use of physical punishment. Family support might be available at Family Hubs to help parents with positive parenting and discipline and details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/find-family-hub-local-area.