Felicity contributed to a new report from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (London, UK): ‘Equal Protection from Assault in England and Northern Ireland: The Health, Education and Legal Case for legislative change to remove the “reasonable punishment” defence and to prohibit all physical punishment of children’.
The report outlines that the use of physical punishment has negative consequences for children’s physical, mental, social, behavioural and emotional wellbeing, as well as for parental and school engagement.
The RCPCH urges the political leaders of England and Northern Ireland to removing the ‘reasonable chastisement’ defence from legislation in order to protect children from harm.
RCPCH shared the report with the UK House of Lords on April 18 and Dr Andrew Rowland spoke to Times Radio UK on the day the report was released.
Delighted to co-author this report with fabulous group of experts on Equal protection from assault in England and Northern Ireland: Prohibiting physical punishment of all children which includes recommendations on making sure over criminalisation of parents and carers does not… https://t.co/1b5pBUZQzn
— Dr Felicity Gerry KC (@felicitygerry) April 17, 2024
