Campaigners call for smacking to be banned after it is made illegal in Jersey
17 January 2019, 08:49 | Updated: 17 January 2019, 11:52
The Channel Island has passed a law making smacking illegal but it's yet to be put in place in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Campaigners want a UK ban on smacking after the Channel Island of Jersey recently made it illegal.
Currently, the UK is one of only four European countries where smacking children is permitted.
Jersey, alongside 53 other countries, recently voted to remove part of their law which allowed parents or guardians to smack their child if they used "reasonable" force.
Read more: By 2022 one in five families could lose their child benefits thanks to this policy
Now campaigners wan't the UK to follow suit.
Scotland and Wales are expected to ban smacking this year but there is no news on whether this will be implemented in England.
Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield called for a blanket ban across the United Kingdom.
She said: “The legislation in England, granting an exemption from the law on common assault to allow the physical punishment of children, is outdated.
“It should be updated to reflect what the majority of parents believe: that hitting children is wrong.”
The loophole permitting parents to smack their children if using "reasonable force" will soon be closed in Wales and Scotland thanks to a new bill but there are no plans for England or Northern Ireland as of yet.
The 2004 Children Act permits hitting that causes bruises, cuts or scratching.
