Childline: Open letter calls for end to physical punishment against children through law change
There is never a reason to physically hurt a child, and taking a simple step to ensure English law protects children the same as it would an adult seems to make total sense.
That’s why our colleagues in the NSPCC took an open letter, signed by more than 300 big names in child protection and celebrities including Alan Shearer, actors Sir Michael Caine, Natalie Dormer and Samantha Morton, and Gladiator Jodie Ounsley (Fury), to Downing Street last week.
Children are among the most vulnerable members of our society, and while you might imagine the law would protect them more fully than adults, in England this is simply not the case.
In England, the defence of ‘reasonable punishment’ means children are not fully protected in law from physical assault, despite more than 65 countries around the world – including Wales and Scotland – already outlawing the physical punishment of children.
The overwhelming majority of parents, young people and safeguarding professionals in England also believe using physical punishment against children is unacceptable.
The letter, which was also signed by parliamentarians, academics, health professionals, charities and other organisations called on the Prime Minister to honour the pledge he made in opposition to change the law and end physical punishment against children in England.
In the last six months, our colleagues on the NSPCC Helpline saw a 40% increase in contacts from adults who were worried about the physical punishment of children, compared to the same period in 2024.
With the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill currently progressing through Parliament, we believe now is the perfect time to act and improve the law to keep children in England safer.
Studies show that physical punishment of children not only increases the risk of poor mental health, physical injury, and behavioural problems in childhood, but also undermines children’s overall wellbeing.
Everyone at Childline calls on the Government to listen to parents, young people, health professionals and the wider public, and to finally remove the outdated and unfair ‘reasonable punishment’ defence.
You can read the open letter in full or sign our petition to call for the change in legislation on the NSPCC website.