THREE-quarters of parents across Britain have admitted smacking their offspring, prompting renewed calls for England and Wales to follow Scotland’s example and introduce legislation to protect children.
The figure was revealed in a new poll, which also showed 29 per cent of parents regularly use smacking as a form of discipline.
The survey of more than 600 parents, carried out by YouGov for ITV1’s This Morning programme, found single parents were less likely to hit their children than married couples. About 40 per cent of single parents said they had never smacked their children, compared with 18 per cent of married parents.
Last night, children’s groups including Barnardo’s and the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) called for England and Wales to follow Scotland’s example and change the law to give more protection to children.
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