Peter Andre backs new anti-smacking campaign just months after explaining ‘it didn’t do him any harm’
PETER Andre has spoken out in support of banning smacking children in Britian, just months after revealing that he “didn’t see anything wrong with a smack.”
The 43-year-old wrote in his new! magazine column that he was “shocked” that smacking was still legal in the UK, and revealed that there are more effective ways to discipline children.
“I was shocked to learn we’re only one of four countries in Europe where smacking out children is still legal!” wrote the dad-of-four.
“Listen when I was growing up my brothers and I were smacked – and it did us no harm. But back then, I think a lot of parents smacked out of frustration and there weren’t really many other methods of discipline out there. But it wasn’t considered bad as at the time they didn’t know any different.
“Times have changed now, and I’ve never needed to smack my children to discipline them. I really think it should be banned because I don’t believe it’s necessary in order to discipline kids.”
Pete, who is dad to Junior, 11, Princess, nine, three-year-old Amelia and Theo who was born in November, offered his own advice on how to get children to behave.
“One of the best methods I use is taking away something they love when they misbehave, such as a toy or a gadget.”
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Pete’s comments are somewhat of a U-turn from his previous thoughts, in which he revealed he didn’t see “anything wrong with a smack on the hand or bum.”
In July he wrote in his column: “As a child I got smacked when I did something wrong and it never did my brothers or I any harm.”
“Of course no parent should physically harm their child, but I don’t see anything wrong with a smack on the hand or the bum to discipline them.
"That said I've never ever smacked my kids."
What is the law on smacking children in?
There are strict guidelines for what is reasonable punishment
The Child Law Advice states: It is against the law for a parent or carer to smack their child, except where this amounts to ‘reasonable punishment’. This defence is laid down in section 58 of the Children Act 2004, but it is not defined in this legislation. Whether a ‘smack’ amounts to reasonable punishment will depend on the circumstances of each case taking into consideration factors like the age of the child and the nature of the smack. There are strict guidelines covering the use of reasonable punishment and it will not be possible to rely on the defence if you use severe physical punishment on your child which amounts to wounding, actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm or child cruelty.
