Smacking children linked to poorer education and behaviour problems, study reveals

All four of the UK’s children’s commissioners have previously jointly called for a wholesale smacking ban - (PA)

The failure to outlaw smacking in England and Northern Ireland has been branded a "huge missed opportunity and deeply disappointing" by researchers, who warn that physical punishment is linked to future behavioural problems and poorer academic results.

This criticism follows new analysis by University College London (UCL), supported by the children’s charity the NSPCC, which represents the first UK-focused study into the long-term impact of such physical discipline.