London: An unlikely alliance of lawyers, child professionals and politicians is condemning as unworkable plans to "jail" parents in Britain who administer anything stronger than a light smack to their children.

But it would be better if parents were sentenced to a program called "Parent Effectiveness Training" by Thomas Gordon Phd or instead just buy them the book and sentence them to reading it.

Under the changes in the Children Bill, passed by the House of Lords by 226 to 91 votes, parents would face imprisonment for up to five years if they caused bodily harm to their child.

Parents smacking their children lightly condones physical violence and locking parents away in prison takes away the child's parents and also could leave a child vulnerable.

So this is no compromise unless children can be compromised?

The fact is children cannot be compromised and neither can the child's parents especially when it comes down to having effective carers. So the best way is to compromise instead to having them learn more about being better parents rather than locking them up.

Valuing children now!

Partial ban on smacking condones other physical punishment, says experts!

NSW legislation banning parents from hitting their children above the neck in effect condones physical punishment, a child abuse conference will hear today.

The 2001 legislation specified where a child could legally be hit, which only perpetuates the view that physical punishment is normal and a parent's right, Bernadette Saunders, of the Child Abuse and Family Violence Research Unit at Monash University, says.

More:  http://www.geocities.com/gregskables/archive3/2003c31

But under the UK measure, parents could be prosecuted for causing bodily harm if their smacks lead to grazes, scratches, swellings, cuts abrasions or bruises. Reddening of the skin would be permitted, but only if it were transitory.

David Hinchliffe, the labour MP who plans to push for a full ban on smacking when the bill returns to the House of Commons said, "it's a recipe for lawyers to print money because they will still be arguing over whether an assault has been committed or not".

But more importantly a partial ban on smacking condones other physical punishment, says experts!

International No-Smacking Day April 30 2004 A Cure For Violence and Domestic Violence simple as ABC.

If it's a crime to punish children or adults for that matter then the "punishment is the crime". Punishment, threats and smacking only get short-term results if any result at all.

More:  http://www.geocities.com/nswcn13/archive04/2004b13.html

Three slaps? Three bad lessons!

A MOTHER became a convicted criminal yesterday, for smacking her three-year-old son at a supermarket. She lost control after her son threw a tantrum in the middle of Coles at Dee Why. As a Coles employee and a shopper watched, the mother hit the kicking and screaming child about the head two or three times. She then dragged him to where his father was waiting at the checkout.


More:  http://www.geocities.com/nswcn13/archive04/2004a98.html