A shocking 12% had carried out a severe assault, and 2.6% a very severe assault. The most recent study, from 2017, showed 41.7% of parents — now aged 40 — had committed a minor assault. This study clearly shows the effect of the landmark anti-smacking legislation in 2007. This study shows we are on the right track, nothing more. The law has been working — parents are not being prosecuted for ‘‘minor’’ complaints, and the rate of physical assaults by parents on children is dropping.

Source: Otago Daily Times May 02, 2021 16:30 UTC