It is important that children learn how to behave, and how to control their behaviour as they get older.  Parents have a very important job as role models for their children to help them learn how to do this.

Teaching children from a young age by setting limits and explaining reasons for these limits helps them to learn self-discipline.  Smacking, which controls your child from the outside, has no long-lasting effect.  In fact, smacking usually has to increase in severity in order to have the same impact on your growing child.  This is where the thin line between smacking and hitting can be crossed.

Have you ever smacked your child?  The answer from many parents reading this will be yes.  Every parent experiences frustration with his or her child at various times.  It is at these times that a parent may smack in the heat of the moment.  But this is an outlet for the parent's frustration, rather than a helpful way of influencing the child's behaviour.

However, simply because lots of people may have smacked their children does not mean it is the best way to punish your child or ensure good behaviour.  Those who say smacking is acceptable have argued that this is not harmful in the long term and is the most immediate form of discipline.  It is much more helpful and safer to notice and reward your child's positive behaviours, to encourage the behaviours you want.

The numbers of parents who smack their children is decreasing and lots of those who continue often do so because they are not sure that other methods will work.

In this society parents are not allowed to physically harm their children regardless of any individual, cultural or religious justification.  As a result, child protection professionals will assess incidents of physical ill treatment of children, in order that they  can understand, prevent and explain the consequences of further incidents.

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If you are concerned about your own, or someone else's smacking - get support from the organisations listed on the right.  If it is someone you know, offer practical help and suggestions about alternatives.  "Star charts" to record good behaviour and a "naughty step" as a place to think about how to behave differently are two popular methods of changing behaviour.