British Lawmakers To Vote Whether To Ban Smacking Children
 

POSTED: 9:48 am EST November 2, 2004

LONDON -- British lawmakers are voting Tuesday on whether to ban parents from smacking their children.

The government is opposed to an outright ban. Prime Minister Tony Blair's government fears it'll be accused of intruding into family affairs. It wants to preserve an 1860 court ruling that allows parents to use "reasonable chastisement."

Two parliamentary committees contend that's used too often to defend violent behavior that goes beyond a smack. A number of members of the ruling Labor Party are calling for any form of physical punishment to be outlawed.

Officials said the legislation would allow authorities to prosecute violent parents more easily. Several other European countries already consider physical punishment of children illegal.
Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press.

I'm gonna write letters to undecided voters over there and try to influence them. After all, I do give two shits about what the Brits do. I really, really do.

The question is, when does a disciplinary smack turn into actual abuse? Can you cuff the child over the head? Box his ears perhaps? At what point do those things turn into "punching the child about the head and face"?

This only applies to parents, right? It's still open season for the rest of us?

What about locking them in closets until they are 18? Is that still all right?

US Standard is "swat with open hand on fleshy part of the body." Anything more than that, or involving implements is considered abuse.

This isn't really the issue it may appear to be, it's two things. First is an opportunity for the left wing of the party to give blair the finger, the second is tidying up a law that is ambigious to cause a lot of messy, pointless lawsuits.

Well thanks for that informative commentary. That really just helped me define exactly where you stand on physical punishment with regards to children.

And by the way, there are people who visit this board that are not from the Not-So-Good Old US of A. Have some frigging respect.

Brianna was a little stressed out over the Bush Victory.

So did they ban it or not?

I checked the Washington Post Wednesday morning but didn't see a headline to the effect that "How Could British Lawmakers Be So Dumb" and assumed that the measure failed but I'm just guessing. :)

As far as I'm aware no but I've barely had time to pick up a paper this week, just one of those things that gets thrown up when the labour backbench gets uppity. I'm waiting to see if they can bring the Blair impeachment motion to the house, I'd buy that on PPV.

I haven't looked up what the UK decided, but what I do is this: I made the switch (no pun intended) from none to some. I have two yunguns and being solely responsible find that I can not maintain the necessary amount of attention they demand all day - and night - long. So, after they've been ignored (chores attended to, or even just a shower) and due to lack of naps/lots of stimulation/lots of sugar they run amok. And I am telling you my persuasion doesn't always have impact. But now I can give the ole-, 1, 2, 3 or else, and they seem to calm down by three, or a reminder of what may be next. And so the need becomes less too. Not proud of it, but sometimes not enough energy or creativity left over to deal, well, properly. Plus, i do give lots of hugs and love and reasoning too.

Great! Then they can raise their kids right beside the lion's share of spoiled, disrespectful American kids!!!

Hm...that could present a problem: what would be considered "reasonable"? I know of plenty of people who would get the knock down/drag out Kunte Kente "special" beatdown by the parents, and that was once considered "reasonable".

Oh, this looks bad, even just on paper. Good luck with that mess!