For generations, some parents have defended smacking as a necessary form of discipline. The argument is usually the same: “It never did me any harm.” Yet a growing body of evidence suggests that physical punishment does far more harm than many people realise.
New research from University College London has added to the overwhelming case against smacking children. The study found that children who experienced physical punishment between the ages of three and seven were more likely to suffer poorer educational outcomes and engage in antisocial behaviour as teenagers.
The findings are stark. Children who were smacked were less likely to pass their GCSEs, including key subjects such as English and mathematics. They were also around 35 per cent more likely to have hit, pushed or shoved someone else by the age of 14.
In other words, smacking appears to achieve the exact opposite of what many parents claim it is intended to do. Rather than teaching children self-control, it may actually increase aggressive behaviour.
The research, based on data from nearly 19,000 children followed through the Millennium Cohort Study, reinforces what child psychologists and welfare organisations have been saying for years. Physical punishment does not improve behaviour in the long term. Instead, it teaches children that violence is an acceptable way to solve problems or express authority.
Children learn by example. When an adult responds to misbehaviour by hitting a child, even lightly, the lesson being communicated is simple: bigger people can use force to get what they want. It is hardly surprising that some children go on to imitate that behaviour with siblings, classmates or friends.
The educational findings are equally concerning. Childhood should be a time of security, support and learning. Repeated physical punishment can create stress and anxiety, undermining a child’s confidence and ability to thrive academically. A child who fears punishment is less likely to develop the trust and emotional resilience needed for success in school and later life.
Scotland and Wales have already recognised these realities by banning smacking altogether. Yet children in England and Northern Ireland remain less protected under the law, where the defence of “reasonable punishment” still exists. Critics argue that this legal loophole sends a troubling message that some forms of violence against children are acceptable when they would never be tolerated against adults.
Children’s rights campaigners, the NSPCC and all four UK children’s commissioners have repeatedly called for a complete ban. They argue that the law should provide children with the same protection from physical assault that every adult enjoys.
The latest research only strengthens that argument. Smacking is not a harmless parenting tool. It is associated with poorer outcomes, increased aggression and lower educational achievement. Most importantly, experts have found no evidence that it provides any benefits that cannot be achieved through positive, non-violent forms of discipline.
Parenting is difficult, and every parent faces moments of frustration. But hitting children, however socially accepted it may once have been, belongs in the past. If we want future generations to grow up respectful, successful and free from violence, then society must finally abandon the outdated practice of smacking.
