Isn’t it strange that in most places the only humans you are legally allowed to hit are children?
As of March 21, all forms of physical punishment against children (such as smacking, hitting, slapping and shaking) is illegal in Wales.
The law change was hailed as “historic” by the Welsh government and a number of child protection champions, who called for England to follow suit.
The law will apply to everybody in Wales, including visitors.
“Today is a historic moment for children and their rights in Wales as we make physically punishing children a thing of the past,” said Julie Morgan, the deputy minister for social services, who has campaigned for the law change for more than two decades.
According to Welsh Government surveys, parents of young children in Wales have shown a significant shift in attitude over the past decade. For example, in 2019, 70% of parents and guardians of young children in Wales disagreed that it is sometimes necessary to smack a child, compared with 59% in a similar survey in 2018.
