Children hit by parents more likely to bully others, research finds | Education
Children who are spanked by their parents struggle to achieve good exam results and are more likely to bully others, having a negative impact on society, according to new research calling for smacking to be banned.
Research by University College London (UCL) found that children in England who were physically punished aged three, five and seven were significantly less likely to pass GCSE exams than other children, even after factors such as family background were taken into account.
to workUsing data from 19,000 children born in the UK in the early 2000s, the research found that young people who were exposed to physical punishment in early childhood were significantly more likely to bully siblings and others or engage in cyberbullying.
The findings have renewed calls from experts, MPs and children’s charities for lawmakers in England and Northern Ireland to take action.
Joanna Barrett, deputy head of policy at the NSPCC, said: “This UCL research shows again that corporal punishment does not improve children’s behavior and in fact has a negative impact on their well-being, leading to worse outcomes in the future.
“Children in England and Northern Ireland should be given the same protection from attack as adults, as they already are in Scotland and Wales. It is time to change the law and remove the defense of reasonable punishment altogether.”
Lowestoft MP Jess Asato said: “The Government must act urgently on the recommendations of this report. Scotland and Wales have already shown there is a path that works. Now it’s time for England to follow suit.”
A Department for Education spokesman said England’s new Child Welfare and Schools Act “will provide greater protection for vulnerable children at risk of abuse and neglect” but the government “has no plans to legislate for a ban on spanking at this stage”.
The law in England allows parents to use “reasonable punishment” as a defense if they are accused of hitting their children. Article 58 of the Children’s Act 2004.
UCL’s research found that corporal punishment was still being used by parents against more than 20% of 10-year-olds in 2020-21 and is likely to be more common against younger pre-school age children.
While the effects of spanking were most evident in behavioral problems among infants, repeated experience of physical punishment at ages three, five and seven was associated with lower literacy.
Young people who were exposed to corporal punishment in childhood were less likely to achieve passes in GCSE subjects compared to their peers. Taking family circumstances, parental attitudes and socio-economic background into account, 48% of children exposed to repeated punishment failed to pass five GCSEs, including English and maths; This rate was 42% for those who did not experience punishment. The effects of spanking appeared to be more harmful on boys than on girls.
Among young people surveyed, spanking was also associated with antisocial behavior such as bullying, aggression and vandalism towards others at age 14.
“Given these findings, corporal punishment may have a negative impact on society as a whole,” the study concludes.
Principal investigator and associate professor at UCL, Dr. Anja Heilmann said the study’s main recommendation was for England and Northern Ireland to change their laws to allow “reasonable punishment” such as spanking by relatives.
“The decision by lawmakers in Northern Ireland and last year in England to abandon plans to ban corporal punishment is a huge missed opportunity and a deep disappointment. Children have the right to be raised free from all forms of violence,” Heilman said.
