Supernanny Jo Frost has declared there is "no place for corporal punishment" in raising children, responding to the claim that smacking "never did them any harm."
The British nanny, TV personality and author, known for her no-nonsense approach and the "Naughty Step" technique, shared her views in an Instagram post that drew hundreds of overwhelmingly supportive comments.
Jo Frost's Message on Discipline
In the post, Jo Frost said: "ONCE YOU SMACK, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT BACK. I've been teaching families for four decades and the one hill I will always die on is that there is no place for corporal punishment when raising children.
"Hitting a child does not teach respect, emotional regulation or self-control. It teaches them that when someone bigger, stronger or more powerful is frustrated, physical force is an acceptable response. Fear may produce immediate compliance, but fear is NOT respect and obedience is not the same as understanding."
She added: "We cannot teach children that hitting is wrong while using hitting to correct their behaviour, full stop. So saying no to corporal punishment does not mean no to discipline. Children absolutely need rules, structure and consequences.
"They need consistency and parents to uphold healthy boundaries too. They need parents who can say what they mean, mean what they say without being mean.
"Follow through and hold kids accountable for their behaviour. You can be firm and fair without being aggressive and loving without being permissive."
Smacking Laws Across the UK
Smacking children remains a divisive topic across the UK, where physical punishment is illegal in two of its four countries: Scotland and Wales. Both countries have banned all forms of physical punishment of children, while England and Northern Ireland still retain the "reasonable punishment" defence.
The Republic of Ireland outlawed smacking in 2015. Scotland followed suit, making all forms of physical punishment entirely illegal when the ban came into force in November 2020, scrapping the "reasonable punishment" defence.
Wales introduced an identical prohibition in March 2022, rendering all forms of physical punishment unlawful. In England and Northern Ireland, however, parents and carers are legally permitted to smack a child only when it constitutes "reasonable punishment" under Section 58 of the Children Act 2004.
It is a criminal offence for any adult to cause grazes, scratches, abrasions, bruising, swelling, cuts or a black eye.
