The question of whether it is ever acceptable to smack a child – hitting them with the flat inside of the hand with the aim of achieving compliance – is still highly controversial. In England, this controversy was recently reignited by the education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, who has said that “the discipline of children should be left up to parents”.
Smacking is currently illegal in 63 countries, including Wales and Scotland. In England and Northern Ireland, though, parents remain free to smack their children.
