Education Secretary Phillipson Expresses Openness to England Smacking Ban, No Immediate Legislative Changes Planned

The Secretary of State for Education has indicated her “open-minded” stance regarding a prohibition on physically disciplining children in England, while clarifying that there are no immediate intentions to amend the existing law. Bridget Phillipson informed Laura Kuenssberg on the BBC on Sunday that the government is “considering” such a ban, but confirmed that new legislation would not be brought forward “any time soon.” These remarks followed renewed appeals for a ban in England from Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza, who proposed implementing comparable provisions already established in Scotland and Wales. The children’s charity NSPCC urged the introduction of new legislation “as soon as possible,” citing “mounting evidence” that the physical discipline of children could be “damaging.” Speaking on Sunday morning, Phillipson expressed her eagerness to receive input from Dame Rachel and other specialists “on how [a ban] would work.” She further commented that she believed “we do need to look at how we keep children safe.” Phillipson also mentioned that the forthcoming Children’s Wellbeing Bill, anticipated to be presented “by the end of the year,” is designed to tackle numerous concerns pertaining to children’s care and safeguarding. Anna Edmundson, who serves as the head of policy at the NSPCC, informed the BBC that the charity’s helpline had experienced a threefold increase in calls from adults expressing concerns regarding the application of physical punishment towards children. In a statement, she further asserted: “That is why we want the Government to legislate as soon as possible to give children in England the same protection from assault afforded to adults and already in place for children in Scotland and Wales.” Additional charitable organizations, such as Barnardo’s, have similarly advocated for an English smacking ban for an extended period. A YouGov poll conducted in March last year indicated that two-thirds of English individuals surveyed considered the physical discipline of a child unacceptable. Current legislation in England and Northern Ireland permits a carer or parent to physically discipline their child, provided it constitutes a “reasonable” punishment. However, the Children Act 2004 criminalized assaulting a child to the extent of causing actual or grievous bodily harm. The preceding Conservative government maintained that parents ought to be trusted with disciplining their children, asserting that “clear laws were in place” to deter violence. The Department for Education informed the BBC earlier this week that it is currently “looking closely” at the legislative amendments enacted in Scotland and Wales, which became effective in 2020 and 2022, respectively, to assess potential actions for England. Last week, Dame Rachel posted on X, stating that prohibiting any form of corporal punishment, encompassing smacking, hitting, slapping, and shaking, could prevent minor violence from intensifying. She declared: “If we are serious about keeping every child safe, it’s time England takes this necessary step.” She added: “Too many children have been harmed or killed at the hands of the people who should love and care for them most.”