‘Don’t ban smacking’ – academic
AN AMERICAN academic who contributed to the Welsh Government’s consultation on making smacking illegal has appealed for Wales not to introduce a ban
Robert Larzelere, the Endowed Professor of Parenting Research at Oklahoma State University, said information he submitted had been misquoted and relevant research was ignored.
He argues that “back-up smacking” improves “the child’s co-operation with milder disciplinary tactics, so that smacking can be phased out”.
The professor added: “The consultation document also failed to summarise all of the most important studies, before claiming that it provided an evidentiary base for a smacking ban... Back-up smacking has been associated with less aggression or defiance than 10 of 13 alternative disciplinary tactics... Two other studies found that smacked children had better outcomes than neversmacked children as long as smacking was discontinued by ages nine or 11.”
Warning of the possible consequences of a smacking ban, he said: “To date, there have been few, if any, objective evaluations of smacking bans. Most of the relevant evidence, however, indicates that criminal assaults and physical abuse increase after banning smacking, just the opposite of the intended effect.”
Prof Larzelere praises the approach taken in Canada, where the Department of Justice states that the “use of force on a child is only allowed to help the child learn” and the adult “must be correcting behaviour at the time it is happening, and the person must not use force on a child in anger”.
He argues that Canada has “experienced decreases in most child behaviour problems, large increases in prosocial behaviour, and increased usage of positive parenting and time-out”.
He added: “Thus Canadian parents of the most difficult children can still backup milder disciplinary tactics with smacking when needed, which has been shown to enhance cooperation with the milder tactics, so that back-up smacking can be phased out quickly...
“Like any disciplinary tactics, the effects of smacking depend upon how it is used. Back-up smacking has real benefits and should be available for ordinary parents use to back up milder disciplinary tactics so that even defiant children will learn to cooperate with those milder tactics.”
Clwyd West Conservative AM Darren Millar said: “The Welsh Government seem determined to implement their unpopular smacking ban in the face of a lack of public support and opposition from esteemed academics.”
He called on ministers to apologise to Prof Larzelere and “think again before they criminalise tens of thousands of loving parents who use the occasional smack to discipline their children”.
The Bill to introduce an outright ban on smacking in Wales is expected to be introduced in the Senedd before July.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “The government’s consultation document, published in January 2018, aimed to give a balanced view of the evidence relating to physical punishment of children. A number of research papers and reviews were referenced, including research carried out by Professor Lazerlere.
“We are grateful to Professor Lazerlere and all others who responded, helping to inform our thinking.
“In addition to the analysis of evidence set out in the consultation document, the Government commissioned the Public Policy Institute for Wales (now the Wales Centre for Public Policy) to carry out a review of the evidence on children’s attitudes towards physical punishment, and the links between parental physical punishment and child outcomes. This was published in July 2018.
“The high level conclusions of the review are broadly consistent with those set out in our consultation document.”