ABSTRACT
The use of physical force by adults in disciplinary relationships with children is currently the subject of major debates in the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond. Crudely, the debates question whether ‘smacking’ (or ‘spanking’) is, on the one hand, a necessary and legitimate part of responsible child rearing or, on the other hand, yet another type of interpersonal violence that should be outlawed. We can note not only the large ‘international controversy’ on this topic in the scientific research community (Rohner et al. 1996: 842; Ghate 2000) and among social care professionals (Cloke 1997: 276) but also considerable disagreement on an international scale in legal and political arenas. The subject of physical punishment has been seen as having important implications for children now, for their longer-term development and for the future of society as a whole. Consequently, issues and concerns regarding physical punishment of children, together with the possibility of restricting such actions, have been ‘firmly placed on the political agenda in many countries in recent years’ (Overton 1993: 76).
