Safeguards for parents using ‘loving restraint’

Madam, – The failure to distinguish between a child and an adult is the worst form of child abuse.

The Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill needs proper safeguards for parents who use loving restraint on their children.

Last week I received the following message from a Professor of Educational Ethics in the Czech Republic, which clearly points out it is not an assault to physically restrain a child.

“When your child starts to crawl sooner or later it approaches something which is dangerous to him or her, it may pull something heavy off the shelf, or put its finger into a socket etc.

A good (and normal) parent at that moment grabs the child’s leg and says the magic word “no”. The child usually doesn’t like it and cries.

But if the parent persists for some time, the child will understand that there are certain things which are not allowed. Boundaries are set.

And because children are smart they learn that in the space where they live there are several other similar things which are not allowed.

They will relatively quickly assimilate these things and gradually become independent, not needing constant control.

The initial “no” that protects them physically later becomes “should not” that protects them morally.

Now, what happens if you do not apply the “no” or “should not” practice – usually in the name of some kind of liberal ideology which claims that setting boundaries cuts down the development of a child as a free or autonomous being.

The child becomes dangerous to itself and to others. The lack of boundaries produces troublesome beings – first physically and later morally.

And thus the parent or educator must follow it everywhere and control it all the time. Briefly, in the name of freedom you get a constant supervision which is the exact opposite of the liberalist creed.

These words have sadly come true as we face the rising tide of anti-social behaviour.

Parents need every support and encouragement from government, not to be criminalised for their vital role in rearing law abiding citizens.

David Scott. 27 Westfield Road, Broughty Ferry.