The Law & Child Discipline

Every child will at some time or another misbehave and be unruly; it is in their nature to do so. But there is a fine line between you disciplining them effectively and authoritatively and being considered in the eyes of the law as being a bullying parent.

What Can I Do as a Parent to Discipline My Child?

As a parent you have the legal and moral obligation to ensure that your child is both looked after and not making a nuisance of themselves when it comes to others. Many parents feel that by shouting at their child they are making sufficient strides to ensure their behaviour. However this is not always the case and in some instances can be considered to be emotional bullying especially if reported to the relevant authorities.

Smacking your child is something that the law says we probably shouldn’t do but there are some who say it is the only way to ensure their child understands the message the parent is trying to reinforce.

The Law on Smacking

The law has recently changed and now says that any parent who smacks their child sufficiently enough to leave marks or bruises could face up to five years imprisonment on a charge of assault. There is of course no way of clearly defining the proper level of chastisement when it comes to individual parents; all parents have different ways of bringing their children up and the law has to reflect this.

However a light smack to the back of the legs is acceptable and many say this is the best way to discipline their child; a light smack issued with a stern warning.

The law is very clear however that any smack or punishment that leaves clear marks, welts, bruises or scratches has gone beyond what is reasonably acceptable and is a prosecutable offence. These new laws came into effect in November 2004.

How Best to Discipline Your Child?

Again this is a bone of contention as every parent has their own ideas as to how best control or keep control of their child. For many a light smack to the back of the legs or hands is sufficient for the child to know that what they are doing is wrong. This can be supported by a verbal scolding but really should not go any further than that.

Other forms of punishment include grounding your child (denying them playtime outside with friends), loss of privileges such as television and computer game console time, and loss of pocket money. These are of course only suggestions and are some of the suggestions made by parents who want their children to know they have done wrong. But as we have said it is the individual parent who has the final say on how to discipline their child.

Further Information

If you are in any doubt as to what the law says on the subject of disciplining your child it is worth visiting the website of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) who offer practical advice and support on this rather tentative subject. Your local authority’s child welfare department can also offer advice as well as parental training classes for those parents who might prefer some additional help.