[BBC News] Pair held after double stabbing

[Typhoid]

Adults are deemed mature enough to be subject to the boundaries of the law, children are not deemed mature enough to be subject to the boundaries of the law, but are subject to the boundaries set by their parents who maintain responsibility for them until they generally reach adulthood. Maturity is based on general mental and physical development in most areas of the law.

 

This works re the transgressor but surely not the victim? Maybe I'm wrong but I can't think of any other area where maturity is a factor limiting a basic human right; there shouldn't be a certain age where one becomes eligible to be a legal victim of violence.

 

I agree that smacking is the result of poor parenting to a great degree, but no one can ever claim to be a perfect parent IMO - no one. I see smacking as the result of the abject failure of communication between parent and child.

 

I agree completely.

 

But people have to not be so naive as to pretend that on occasions in a family this never happens - and that children can be reasoned with as adults or even as children sometimes (adrenaline, over excitement, tiredness, naviety to danger etc. etc.).

 

I'm well aware it occurs, but I think it is completely unnecessary. There are other methods that work better minus the violence. If your child runs into the road why is it apt - as a lot of posters have claimed - to smack them? If they're within reach to hit them why can't a parent verbally communicate their anxiety? I maintain that when a child is slapped, smacked, etc. it is a parental failing. The parent has lost control and it is not OK.

 

Taking away smacking sounds wonderful, but in the real world, parenting just doesn't work like that. You might as well try and make war illegal. It's just NuShite idealist socialist clap trap.

 

It's worked in Sweden for 29 years. I'm sure it would be difficult to enforce and judicial common sense would be essential, but it would be a lot more satisfactory then the 'reasonable chastisement' fudge.

 

While resource conflict is impossible to completely prevent, smacking kids does not fall into the same category.

 

The law is already very clear on the difference between physical abuse (assault) and smacking - and you should perhaps concentrate your efforts on dealing more with the physical and mental abusers, and those with piss-poor parenting skills, and make life better for everyone - rather than target the majority of parents who bring up rational decent children, occasionally using the odd smack to keep them in line and within the boundaries of behaviour acceptable in that family.

 

I'm concerned with both the 80 or so child deaths in the UK as a result of child abuse (for example) and the kind of society I and my family live in. I'm interested in preventing child abusers excusing themselves with 'reasonable chastisement' and in reducing the socialisation of violence.

 

I disagree with the common assumption that bad parenting is the major cause of the ills of modern society. Of course it is important, but a child's character development is based on other factors too, not least the absorbtion of peer morality and norms. Logically then, if we want a different society we should stop pointing the finger and instead do everything we can to change it, starting with the smallest area, our own family, in an effort to create the societal environment that is most conducive to socialising children (not just our own) with the morals and norms we wish for.

[jimbms]

'What would Supernanny do?'

 

I doubt there's anything that spunky mare wouldn't do and it would probably involve the naughty step.

 

oooh and i hope she wears that tight skirt and those boots