Many petitions on here deal with animal rights. You would not let an animal be slapped, so why let it happen to a child?
In the UK, it is legal to smack a child as long as it does not leave a mark. It may not bruise or injure the child, but it is done specifically to cause pain. It leaves a child hurt, humiliated and angry. It may seem like a quick and effective way of making sure a child does not do something bad again, but it just teaches the child fear, and that it is acceptable for a bigger person to hurt a smaller person when they are angry.
Studies show it leads to increased aggression and antisocial behaviour.
It used to be legal to hit a woman, until people realised that women were people with equal rights to men, and now it has to be realised that children are people too. If you would not go up and hit an adult because they did something bad, why do it to a child? Children are smaller and more vulnerable, and should feel safe and loved in their homes.
What is the difference between a child and an adult? Children are smaller and do not know as much about the world. However, we do not hit adults shorter than us, and we certainly do not slap people with learning difficulties, so it should not be okay to slap a child.
We do not want teachers hitting our children, so why do we think it is acceptable for parents to hit them?
Please sign my petition to make corporal punishment of children completely illegal in the UK, like 29 countries have already made it illegal.
Thank you.
