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Smacking Briefing (Wales)

Publication

  • August 2019

The Welsh Government has introduced a Bill to make it a criminal offence for a parent to smack their own child. Those who support this change misrepresent a controlled smack by a loving parent as equivalent to child abuse.

References

References

  1. 1 National Assembly for Wales, Children, Young People and Education Committee, Record of Proceedings, 6 June 2019, paras, 16, 32, 96, 125 and 133
  2. 2 National Assembly for Wales, Plenary, 26 March 2019, para. 183
  3. 3 Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill: Explanatory Memorandum, Welsh Government, March 2019, Annex 7
  4. 4 Letter from Julie Morgan AM, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, to Lynne Neagle AM, Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee, 1 July 2019, see http://senedd.assembly.wales/documents/s91152/CYPE5-23-19%20-%20Paper%20to%20note%201.pdf as at 14 August 2019
  5. 5 Letter from Julie Morgan AM, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, to Lynne Neagle AM, Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee, 25 April 2019, page 7 of Annex, see http://senedd.assembly.wales/documents/s87353/CYPE5-13-19%20-%20Paper%201.pdf as at 14 August 2019
  6. 6 BBC News online, 3 August 2018, see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-45055776 as at 14 August 2019
  7. 7 Larzelere, R E, Swindle, T, Johnson, B R, ‘Swedish Trends in Assaults Against Minors Since Banning Spanking, 1981-2010’, International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 2013(2), pages 129-137
  8. 8 The Times, 13 February 2014
  9. 9 Legal analysis of section 59 Crimes Act – the anti-smacking legislation – Update of previous opinion, Chen Palmer New Zealand Public and Employment Law Specialists, 17 January 2018
  10. 10 Data Science to analyse responses to the National Assembly for Wales Children, Young People and Education Committee’s consultation on the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill, ONS, June 2019
  11. 11 Consultation on the Legislative Proposal to Remove the Defence of Reasonable Punishment: Welsh Government Consultation – summary of responses, Welsh Government, August 2018
  12. 12 #TalkParenting: Online engagement update, Welsh Government, August 2018, pages 2-3
  13. 13 Letter from Geraint Davies, Head of Devolution Policy at the Ministry of Justice, to Lynne Neagle AM, Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee, 14 May 2019, see http://senedd.assembly.wales/documents/s91407/Ministry%20of%20Justice.pdf as at 14 August 2019
  14. 14 National Assembly for Wales, Children, Young People and Education Committee, Record of Proceedings, 12 June 2019, paras 20-21
  15. 15 Legislative Proposal to Remove the Defence of Reasonable Punishment: Welsh Government Consultation Document, 9 January 2018, page 17

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