Review of Section 58 of the Children Act 2004

The then Minister for Children, during the passage of the Children Act 2004, gave a commitment that the Government would review the practical consequences of section 58 and seek parents’ views on smacking.

This report sets out the results of that exercise, during which the Government carried out a consultation, parental survey, children and young people’s survey and sought additional supporting evidence.

The review found that smacking is becoming a less commonly used form of discipline as more parents recognise that there are more effective and acceptable methods of disciplining children; and that Section 58 has improved legal protection for children by restricting the use of the reasonable punishment defence in court proceedings.

Order a hard copy from TSO for £7.70