Reports of Physical Punishment to NSPCC Helpline Triple in a Year
Reports to the NSPCC helpline about children being physically punished have more than tripled within a year. Calls mentioning physical punishment rose from 447 to 1,451, leading to 45% of concerns requiring referrals to agencies. NSPCC staff reported children being hit, slapped, and shaken, prompting calls for a UK-wide ban on corporal punishment.
Reports to the NSPCC helpline about children being physically punished have more than tripled within a year, according to the charity.
Calls and emails mentioning physical punishment rose from 447 in the year to March 2023 to 1,451 in the subsequent 12 months.
Helpline staff reported children being hit, slapped, and shaken, with 45% of concerns requiring referrals to social services, police, or other agencies.
More than half of the contacts were from the public worried about parental behavior, while 10% were from the children themselves.
NSPCC chief executive Sir Peter Wanless called the rise 'hugely concerning' and urged for a change in the law.
Wales and Scotland have already banned corporal punishment, and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has called for a UK-wide ban.
In 2022, opposition leader Keir Starmer also supported such bans.
Reasons for the increase include heightened public awareness and confusion over acceptable punishment standards.
The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.