CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -In 1979, Sweden became the first country in the world to explicitly ban the corporal punishment of children. The ban sparked a fierce debate about parental rights and state responsibilities and “made headlines all over the world”, says Radio Sweden.

Detailed explanation-2: -In England, it is still legal for parents to hit their children, so long as it is a “reasonable punishment” in the name of discipline – a marker of which tends to hinge on whether the smack leaves a mark, such as a bruise.

Detailed explanation-3: -Smacking was banned in Scotland in 2020 and was followed in Wales in 2022, prompting renewed calls for the UK government to outlaw the practice in England and Northern Ireland.

Detailed explanation-4: -Scotland’s ban on parents smacking their children has become law, making it the first part of the UK to outlaw physical punishment of under-16s. Parents and carers were previously allowed to use physical force to discipline their children if it was considered “reasonable chastisement".