One-in-four parents admit smacking their children

JUST one in four parents in Ireland admit smacking their children but there is still no widespread support for an outright ban on physical punishment, a new state-funded report reveals.

While 42% of parents feel that smacking should be banned, most parents believe that they should retain the right to smack their children.

The report on Parenting Styles and Discipline funded by the Minister for Children’s office, includes a survey of 1,353 parents conducted at the end of 2007.

Just under half of parents (48%) admitted that they shouted or yelled at a child in the past year.

Of the 25% who admitted using physical punishment, most said they smacked a child on the bottom, hand or leg.

A small number of parents admitted carrying out more severe forms of punishment, with almost 3% saying they shook, grabbed or pushed a child in the past year.

Practices such as being hit with a slipper or being smacked or slapped on the face, head or ears have also decreased, with less than 1% of parents admitting using such physical punishment in the previous year.

Reflecting on their own childhoods, almost a third of parents reported being hit with a slipper or similar instrument, while almost one quarter had experienced being smacked or slapped on the face, head or ears.

Almost 5% of parents reported having been beaten up by their parents in childhood.

Parents with children aged between two and nine were more likely to slap children in response to their behaviour.

And parents whose children had hyperactivity and/or conduct difficulties were more likely to have used physical punishment in the past year.

While most parents (64.6%) believe smacking is not necessary to bring up a well behaved child, most parents (67.1%) also expressed the view that an odd smack does not do a child any harm.

Almost 60% believed that parents should have the right to smack their children, if they so wish. While most parents (56%) believed that smacking might be effective in achieving immediate compliance, most parents (58%) did not believe it was effective in achieving long-term discipline goals.

Just over half of parents (52%) thought smacking was a good reason for stopping a child from doing something dangerous.

Most parents (81%) said they felt sorry or guilty for slapping their child while 42% felt annoyed at their child for driving them to use physical punishment.

Only a small minority (5.5%) reported they felt better after smacking their child.

A total of 132 children and young people also took part in study that looked at corporal punishment from a child’s perspective.

There was no clear consensus, however, on parental use of physical punishment.

Across all age groups, mild physical punishment, such as a tap or a slap, was considered acceptable and appropriate only for more serious transgressions, such as when a child was in danger or at risk.

Children were unanimously against frequent or severe physical punishment.

And while many children were reluctant to ban physical punishment, a number argued that such a ban could protect children whose parents used excessive physical punishment.