Group urges blanket ban on hitting children

Fresh calls have been made for a blanket ban on smacking children after a study found that half of parents resort to hitting and shouting at their children.

The Children’s Rights Alliance issued the plea after the finding was revealed in the ESRI’s latest Growing Up In Ireland monitoring report.

The document, which focuses on the lives of 3-year-olds, said that in general, parents are warm and encouraging to their children, and show low levels of aggression.