Is it time to make smacking illegal?

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Dr Lucy Reynolds, a consultant community paediatrician in Glasgow, has called for a ban on the practice saying it contradicts ambitions about protecting and respecting children. She said hitting a child was a violent act and inconsistent with the government aim to create a child-centred society. The policy Getting it Right for Every Child draws on eight markers - being safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included - to highlight areas of child well-being. Louise asks: Is it time to make smacking illegal?