The Scottish Parliament's Justice 2 Committee published a report last Friday that rejected a ban on the physical punishment of children under the age of three, as set out in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill. The report said that while the committee strongly supported any measures to reduce harm or abuse of children and welcomed the general trend in society towards less physical punishment of children, it 'was not immediately convinced that change in the law is needed to achieve these ends or that these specific changes would be workable.'
The report added, 'We do not wish to see an increase in the prosecution of parents for moderate physical punishment and we do not accept that it is realistic to remove an available defence to the charge of assault while at the same time reassuring Parliament that the number of prosecutions will not increase as a result.'
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
