Family Groups Object to British Ad Campaign
Mike Wendling
London Bureau Chief
London (CNSNews.com) - A major advertising campaign by a leading British children's charity has been criticized by religious groups for lumping together smacking and spanking with child abuse.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) unveiled the latest phase of its "Full Stop" campaign this week with TV ads designed to quell "hitting, shaking or other forms of harsh parenting."
The NSPCC advertisements highlight the demands made by children by comparing a toddler to a drill sergeant and a baby's screams to a road drill and urge parents to call a special help line before they "cross the line."
"Babies and toddlers don't act up to wind you up deliberately, and most so-called naughty behaviour is actually quite normal," said NSPCC Director Mary Marsh.
"In the long run, it is this greater understanding of babies and toddlers that will reduce the pressure on parents and help them stay well clear of crossing the line," she said.
"We hope that this new campaign will not only galvanise greater support for parents, but also start to help parents, parents-to-be and society as a whole to better understand the emotions and behaviour of small children."
The group said that help for new parents is on the decline and that half of British parents do not feel they have enough support in times of stress.
But Roger Smith, head of public policy at Christian charity CARE, said parental rights and religious groups have taken issue with the NSPCC's decision to push for a ban on all hitting of children, even disciplinary smacking or spanking.
"We were in correspondence with the NSPCC about a year ago, when we wrote to them complaining that child abuse campaign shifted over to a campaign against smacking," Smith said.
"We support the NSPCC on their child abuse campaign, but to equate abuse with smacking is outrageous," he said.
Smith questioned whether the organization had the full support of its members and celebrity supporters before expanding the focus of its "Full Stop" campaign last year.
"Their supporters include members of the Royal Family and the entire England rugby team," he said. "I'm sure that a large number of their supporters wouldn't want to give money towards this particular campaign."
CARE, along with Families First and the Christian Institute, have opposed the NSPCC's drive to outlaw smacking and spanking.
"Not only is the NSPCC engaging in a dangerous social experiment, but they are also set on imposing their unproven theories on every family in the country by force of law," said Norman Wells of Families First.
"They are calling on the government to pass laws that would criminalize any parent who smacked his or her child, no matter how mildly," he said.
Current British law regulating parental discipline is based largely on an 1860 statute that allows "reasonable chastisement" of children by their parents.
A 1998 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights challenged that statute, but Prime Minister Tony Blair has said that he has no plans to repeal the law.
In Scotland, regional lawmakers proposed tougher laws against corporal punishment but last September backed off on a proposal that would ban spanking of children under 3 years of age.
Legislators on the Scottish Parliament's justice committee said they didn't want to see an increase in the prosecution of parents for "moderate physical punishment."
An NSPCC spokeswoman contacted Wednesday said the organization's new ad campaign "is not about smacking."
"It's about protecting children and supporting parents," she said.
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