NSPCC Northern Ireland Calls for Law Change

Experts call on political party leaders to back a change to the law to protect children from physical punishment, as new NSPCC data shows overwhelming public support

• NSPCC Northern Ireland, along with politicians, medical professionals and members of the children’s sector sign open letter to call on the Assembly to act now to remove the defence of ‘reasonable punishment’ and give children here the same protection as their counterparts in 70 countries around the world.
• A new survey, commissioned by NSPCC Northern Ireland, found that 67% of parents and carers and 65% of adults support a change in the law to give children the same protection from physical assault as adults.
• Findings show that knowledge of the current law is unclear, with only 38% of respondents being aware that in Northern Ireland parents and carers can physically punish their child.

Members of the children’s sector, politicians and medical and frontline workers have joined NSPCC Northern Ireland in signing an open letter calling on political party leaders to ensure their MLAs back an end the physical punishment of children here.

The letter urges political party leaders to ensure their MLAs back a change in the law that would give children the same protection from assault as adults.

Supporters will hand the open letter over at Stormont today with 250 signatures including representatives from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), academia, Sure Starts and several other charities and organisations across Northern Ireland.

The majority of adults in Northern Ireland (65%) continue to be in favour of legal reform to end the physical punishment of children, new research commissioned by the NSPCC can reveal.

The charity is releasing the data as the equal protection amendment to the Justice Bill is due soon for selection and vote by MLAs at Stormont to prohibit physical punishment of children.

Currently, the law in Northern Ireland allows parents or those caring for a child to physically discipline them in certain circumstances, by enabling them to raise a defence of ‘reasonable punishment’ if they are charged with an offence of assault.

The proposed legislative action will remove this defence, giving children the same protection from physical harm as adults, and bring Northern Ireland into line with 70 other countries including Scotland, Wales, Jersey and the Republic of Ireland.

The NSPCC NI survey, carried out in December 2025, reveals that 67% of parents and carers of children under the age of 18 and 65% of adults would support a change in the law.

This rises to 75% if there was assurance that adults could still physically intervene to protect a child from danger (e.g. crossing a road).

Findings also reveal that 73% of parents would be more likely to support the change if they were provided with more information and support on how to manage children’s behaviour effectively.

The research also found that while 27% of parents and carers surveyed still consider physical punishment an effective form of discipline, only 8% think it is an acceptable one.

There is increasing evidence that physical punishment does not work and can in fact be harmful to children. This includes a 2021 narrative review published by the Lancet which shows that physical punishment was not linked with any positive outcomes and was shown to increase children’s behavioural problems over time.

Additionally, a 2024 Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) report has shown that children who experience physical punishment are 2.3 times more likely to be physically abused.

NSPCC Northern Ireland Policy and Public Affairs manager, Caroline Cunningham said: “The results of this survey show that an overwhelming majority of adults support a change in the law so that children in Northern Ireland have the same protection from physical punishment as adults.

 “The NSPCC believes that it is vital the Northern Ireland Assembly reforms this outdated law. We will be at Stormont today to ask political party leaders to ensure MLAs back the amendment and send a very clear message to children that their protection matters.”

Dr Julie-Ann Maney, RCPCH College Central Mental Health Committee Member said: “The laws in Northern Ireland around physical punishment are vague and unjust. As paediatricians, we know that physical punishment in childhood can increase the risk of worse mental health outcomes for children, as well as poorer relationships with family members and potential behavioural problems later in life.

“The results from this survey clearly show that people in Northern Ireland want to see legislative change. We hope the Northern Ireland Assembly will listen to the evidence and vote to protect children from the mental and physical harms caused from physical punishment.”

Alliance Party MLA, Michelle Guy, who has tabled the amendment, said: “This amendment is an opportunity to bring Northern Ireland into line with modern safeguarding standards, and ensure that every child is afforded the same basic protection from physical harm as adults.

“It is encouraging to see that a strong majority of parents and the wider public now support reform. This exposes, once again, how out of touch some Assembly parties are on this issue.

“This does not create a new offence, simply removes the defence, and updating the law will help provide clarity for families and professionals working directly with children and young people.”

For more information and to register your support for changing the law, you can sign our petition at https://www.nspcc.org.uk/support-us/campaigns/end-physical-punishment/

For more information on using positive parenting, please visit the NSPCC website at www.nspcc.org.uk/parenting