1 in 4 adults think smacking is necessary to ‘properly raise’ kids. But attitudes are changing

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 06:01:12 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/1-in-4-adults-think-smacking-is-necessary-to-properly-raise-kids-but-attitudes-are-changing-218837>

"“Do you want a smack?!” This has been a common refrain from many parents
across history. Right along with “just wait till your father gets home”.
Somehow parents thought this threat of violence would magically improve their
child’s behaviour.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child considers smacking and
all types of physical punishment, however mild, a violation of child rights.
It’s banned in 65 countries.

Yet it remains legal in Australia for parents to use “reasonable force” for
discipline. Children are the only group of people it remains legal to hit.

Our new research found one in four Australians still think physical punishment
is necessary to “properly raise” children. And half of parents (across all age
groups) reported smacking their children.

But attitudes are slowly changing, with newer generations of parents less
likely to smack their kids than previous ones."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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