The School and Public Health Nurses Association (SAPHNA) and the Institute of Health Visiting are among 13 health and social care organisations who have joined forces to call on the government to outlaw physical punishment of children.
An open letter, also signed by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPH) and Royal College of Psychiatrists, the British Medical Association and Royal College of GPs, asks the government to back a critical amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill which would remove the ‘reasonable punishment’ defence in England.
The ‘reasonable punishment’ defence allows parents to justify physically disciplining their children in certain circumstances.
Yet research shows this practice increases the risk of serious physical assault and negatively affects children’s development, the open letter says.
In addition, the lack of legislative clarity can add an extra layer of complexity for professionals trying to identify cases of child abuse, it continues.
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A report published by the RCPCH last year found children subjected to physical punishment are up to three times more likely to develop poor mental health and are potentially more than twice as likely to experience serious physical abuse.
Children in Scotland and Wales have legal protection from physical punishment. The law is also inconsistent in that children have less protection than adults from assault, the letter which has support from the Faculty of Public Health notes.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is moving into the committee stage in the House of Lords. Baroness Finlay has proposed an amendment to eliminate the ‘reasonable punishment’ defence.
In their open letter to government, the organisations urge members of the House of Lords to back the amendment and ‘commit to equal protection for children in England from physical assault’.
A SAPHNA spokesperson told Nursing in Practice it supported the call to remove the reasonable punishment defence from the bill.
‘There is strong evidence that physical punishment of children and young people increases the risk of them developing mental health and behavioural problems and places them at greater risk of experiencing significant harm through physical abuse,’ they said.
‘It is not right, that in 2025, children and young people, a vulnerable group in our society are less protected from physical assault than adults.
‘SAPHNA calls for support for parents and carers to find positive solutions, to protect their child, keep them healthy and happy.’
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RCPCH officer for child protection and consultant paediatrician Professor Andrew Rowland added: ‘Support from healthcare organisations continues to grow for the removal of physical punishment in our society.
‘There is now strong agreement from health and social care professionals that the current laws around physical punishment of children, including smacking, are unjust, vague and ultimately dangerous.’
He added: ‘The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill presents a unique opportunity to improve the lives of our most vulnerable children and young people, but it must go further.
‘It is time to bring protection from physical assault for children in line with the protection afforded to adults. Every child deserves the best possible start to life, and eradicating physical punishment of children is a key part of that aim.’
A Department for Education spokesperson said: ‘The landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill represents the single biggest piece of child protection legislation in a generation. This government has prioritised significant reform of the children’s social care system, driving better child protection and information sharing between education, health, and social workers to stop vulnerable children falling through the cracks.
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‘While we are looking closely at the legal changes made in Wales and Scotland in relation to smacking, we have no plans to legislate at this stage.
‘This government is committed, through our Plan for Change, to ensure children growing up in our country get the best start in life.’
A version of this article was first published by our sister title Pulse
