Should parents be banned from smacking their children?

Today a group of MPs is trying to achieve just that.

Politicians from all parties want to change the law so that youngsters get the same protection against assault as adults.

It comes as the children’s charity NSPCC releases new figures showing public opposition to smacking is at an all time high.

According to its research three quarters of people surveyed think toddlers should not be hit and 54 per cent think smacking a child over five is wrong.

What do you think? Leave a comment below.

Steve Dabrowski is a Children’s Manger for the NSPCC in Gillingham and welcomes the issue being looked at in Parliament.

He said: "Our view is that we’ve now reached a point where we believe the majority of adults have reached the view that smacking and hitting children is not the way to go and the time has come now to make a change in the law."

However the government is opposed to the change and rebel MPs are angry they have not been given the opportunity to have a free vote.

Mr Dabrowski believes there has been a change in parents’ attitudes recently and it is this that politicians should listen to.

He said: "I think in recent times there’s been more of a recognition that parents want to do things differently and I think there’s also been a recognition that actually smacking doesn’t work - there’s been an explosion of information on other ways of disciplining children and being more positive parents."