Smacking is to be banned in Scotland, hopefully from next year, and I’m very happy about this. But apparently only 30% of Scots support the new legislation. I find this surprising. Hitting a child is assault. It’s always done in anger and it can cause long-term psychological harm.
Once upon a time it was legal for a man to beat his wife. We are all, rightly, horrified of accounts of domestic violence towards women by their partners and so I question how any woman, who is the beneficiary of this social progress which has seen it become unlawful for men to beat their wives, not wish to confer the same benefit on her children? We can’t shame the father for beating his wife with one hand while allowing him or her to beat their child with the other. It’s a gross inconsistency. It’s for this reason that the percentage of Scots who support the anti-smacking legislation should be at least 50% to represent all the women of Scotland and I’m disappointed that this is not the case.
As a woman in Scotland and as a parent to two young children I wholeheartedly support the anti-smacking bill. Smacking is a euphemism for assault.
rachel.blog 
Totally agree with you. My siblings and I have been smacked by my father and he thoroughly regrets that. It did not help to educate but to distance us from him due to fear.
Yes, exactly. It’s good that you can talk about it now with your father and I’m pleased to hear it’s something he regrets.
It took me years to forget and forgive him, which is a proof of how much relationships with parents can be damaged and sometimes lost forever in the process.
The only thing that this ‘educational method’ ‘taught’ me was to defend myself. However, I used to feel that every criticism looked like a personal attack or a threat, and my only weapon was to react abruptly and become defensive.
It’s very true that if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail!
I’m glad that I turned to be a person who values self knowledge, engaged in therapy, and even studied psychology, as I had lots of dust under my mental carpet, in the form of resentment and anger; all because of the smacking. And I’m glad I have an excellent relationship with my father and that we both overcame and learnt from our pain.
I truly hope that this law passes in all countries of the UK, and not only in Scotland.
Good for you! What a great story and fantastic outlook you have on all of it.
I’m pretty sure the law will pass here as it has cross-party support. Hopefully England and Wales aren’t too far behind.
Thanks, Rachel.
Crossing fingers to pass the law.
All the best to you!