Once again parents all over Scotland should be concerned about proposals by the Scottish Executive to clarify the law concerning the disciplining of children. The proposed amendment to the law would make it illegal to smack children under the age of three, hit any child around the head or use an implement to punish a child. Some organisations believe that the Executive’s plans do not go far enough and that a complete ban on punishing children is the only answer. Whilst we would agree that slapping a child around the head is completely wrong we cannot support a complete ban on disciplining children.
Those organisations and individuals who back a complete ban will try to sway public emotions by throwing around the terms ‘violence’ and ‘abuse’. Are they trying to say that every parent who ever lived and disciplined his children was a child abuser? Are they trying to say that all parents that discipline their children are violent toward their children? This seems to be exactly what they are saying. Supporters of a complete ban are using the research gleaned from a survey of more than 1300 children in Scotland to back up their demands. The survey claims that 75% of children asked were totally opposed to smacking and 94% believe there are better alternatives. It should come as no surprise to us that children do not like being smacked. Maybe we should finance a survey of criminals and ask them if they liked being locked up for long periods of there lives! I would imagine a high percentage of them would say no, they didn’t like it. But this is stating the obvious.
Of course children do not like being smacked but it is for their good. “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” Heb 12:11
Let’s be clear though, we support the work of organisations such as Save the Children as far as stopping the abuse and degradation of children. The work they do in this area is much needed. However what we mean by the terms ‘chastisement’ and ‘discipline’ is by no means the same as the abuse we are told about in some instances. We do not discipline by incessantly beating to the point that the child needs medical help, we do not mean lashing out in an angry fit, we do not mean degrading the child in front of its peers. The chastisement we believe in is a measured, reasoned discipline. “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Eph 6:4 Our duties as far as discipline is concerned are firstly to love them and let them know that, secondly to teach them why we are disciplining them and then thirdly to let them know that they are still loved.
There are already laws to stop the abuse of children and bringing in new laws will do nothing to stop real child abuse. Unfortunately real child abuse still continues although we have adequate laws to prosecute those who perpetrate these criminal acts. If we go down the road of allowing the views of our children, however well intentioned, to shape our law it will not be long before children are being taken away from their parents for the slightest smack. Families will suffer no end of hurt and when I say families that includes the children: they will suffer more than being properly disciplined once in a while.
So instead of protecting the children we end up hurting them.
It is the responsibility of the parents to bring up the children. We concede too much to our governments and eventually it is they who end up bringing up our children. It is time that parents once again were active in the nurture of their children rather than allow elected bodies to dictate what we teach, how we teach and how we discipline and bring up our children.

A comment I made in the editorial of the last magazine was brought to my attention recently. I stated that I would not be overly worried if one of my children (when they are able to read) read one of the Harry Potter novels. My point was not to promote the reading of Harry Potter novels for that would be to promote the reading of material that deals with witchcraft, the occult and the taking of mind-altering substances. No, let me clarify. I believe that reading one Harry Potter novel would not have a greatly adverse effect on a child but a child that immersed itself in this material would have its thinking affected by it. I was also trying to contrast the reading of one Harry Potter novel, which would not overly concern me, with the reading of one of the Philip Pullman trilogy which would concern me greatly due to its overtly atheistic themes.