Smacking legacy

Children who are smacked frequently are more likely to think that physical punishment is right, the British Psychological Society heard.

They were more likely to suggest more severe punishments for children who misbehave, suggesting that attitudes are repeated from generation to generation. However, children close to their parents or who come from a family where they are seen as an important member choose less violent forms of punishment, such as being sent to their room, said Dr Marjorie Smith, Deputy Director of Thomas Coram Research Unit, London