Rejected petition Make it illegal for parents to smack their children

I want the government to make it illegal for parents to smack their children regardless as to whether it leaves a mark or not. Corporal punishment should not be legal when there are so many healthier forms of punishment/discipline.

More details

Smacking your child can cause psychological damage and trauma. It can cause issues later on in life such as aggression, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem etc. There are plenty of other non-violent ways to discipline children. Causing them physical pain and risking giving them trauma in the name of “discipline” is not okay and it is abuse. I know many people who have been traumatised from being smacked as a child, now they have to live with that trauma for the rest of their lives.

This petition was rejected

Why was this petition rejected?

There’s already a petition about this issue. We cannot accept a new petition when we already have one about a very similar issue.

You are more likely to get action on this issue if you sign and share a single petition.

You may wish to sign this petition which calls for a similar action: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/709573

We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.

Date submitted 27 May 2025
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