Religion and Ethics Forum

General Category => Politics & Current Affairs => Topic started by: Nearly Sane on May 12, 2017, 02:14:44 PM

Title: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Nearly Sane on May 12, 2017, 02:14:44 PM
Hope this gets passed


https://greens.scot/news/equal-protection-finnie-bill-widely-welcomed
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Gordon on May 12, 2017, 02:17:52 PM
Hope this gets passed


https://greens.scot/news/equal-protection-finnie-bill-widely-welcomed

Me too.
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Nearly Sane on May 12, 2017, 02:38:50 PM
You would hope this will get full cross party support.
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: floo on May 12, 2017, 02:44:09 PM
Whilst no child should have the living daylights beaten out of them as happened to me on many occasions, because of me being me and not towing the party line, I have no problem with giving a kid a light slap on their hand if they fail to heed a warning given to them.
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Nearly Sane on May 12, 2017, 02:48:03 PM
Whilst no child should have the living daylights beaten out of them as happened to me on many occasions, because of me being me and not towing the party line, I have no problem with giving a kid a light slap on their hand if they fail to heed a warning given to them.
Because allowing violence to a specific group of people is a really sensible thing.
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Gordon on May 12, 2017, 02:49:49 PM
I definitively have a problem with physically assaulting people - not sure inflicting pain on anyone, let alone a child, is a good idea and would dispute it is an essential aspect of setting limits.

Neither is it a good example, unless of course the example you want to give is that it is o.k. to hit children (I have 3 children).
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Nearly Sane on May 12, 2017, 03:02:02 PM
I definitively have a problem with physically assaulting people - not sure inflicting pain on anyone, let alone a child, is a good idea and would dispute it is an essential aspect of setting limits.

Neither is it a good example, unless of course the example you want to give is that it is o.k. to hit children (I have 3 children).
and that it is OK to be hypocritical since one of the things you want to teach kids is don't be violent.
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Rhiannon on May 12, 2017, 03:18:11 PM
One message that I got growing up was that it was wrong not to hit kids. My parents never hit me and I was told by a teacher that a good spanking would have made me a better person.
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Robbie on May 12, 2017, 03:54:24 PM
Hope this gets passed


https://greens.scot/news/equal-protection-finnie-bill-widely-welcomed

So do I!
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Anchorman on May 12, 2017, 07:36:51 PM
Whilst app;lauding the sentiments in the bill, I think it's a bit pointless. Unless one were to put camers in every room of every building, in every open space, and monitor them at every turn, policing this bill with any degree of accuracy would be nigh on impossible.
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Nearly Sane on May 12, 2017, 07:38:58 PM
Whilst app;lauding the sentiments in the bill, I think it's a bit pointless. Unless one were to put camers in every room of every building, in every open space, and monitor them at every turn, policing this bill with any degree of accuracy would be nigh on impossible.
surely you don't want to maintain a system where it is legal to hit children?
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Anchorman on May 12, 2017, 07:55:48 PM
This bill, if enacted, won't stop smacking - whether you or I want it to or not. It might do so in public places, but where there are no witnesses - or none old enough to report the incident - how can such a law be enforced with any certainty of conviction?
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Nearly Sane on May 12, 2017, 07:57:27 PM
This bill, if enacted, won't stop smacking - whether you or I want it to or not. It might do so in public places, but where there are no witnesses - or none old enough to report the incident - how can such a law be enforced with any certainty of conviction?
No law can. And again it is currently legal to hit children. If you don't change that you are supporting it.
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Anchorman on May 12, 2017, 10:17:57 PM
Actually, I don't support assaulting children. Smacking, however, is not, in my opinion, assault if it is delivered as a means of shocking a child out of some persistant action which is either undesirable or downright dangerous. Persistant smacking - or inflicting any injury which leaves any form of mark, bruise or whatever, however temporary, is, of course, a different matter entirely - and is already covered by legislation.
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Nearly Sane on May 12, 2017, 10:18:35 PM
Actually, I don't support assaulting children. Smacking, however, is not, in my opinion, assault if it is delivered as a means of shocking a child out of some persistant action which is either undesirable or downright dangerous. Persistant smacking - or inflicting any injury which leaves any form of mark, bruise or whatever, however temporary, is, of course, a different matter entirely - and is already covered by legislation.
That is assaulting children.

ETA

I have to say I struggle with the idea that treating children to the same rights as adults not to be subject to being hit is in anyway controversial. Given that children are smaller and more vulberable , surely if anything they should be treated better not worse in this regard.
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Rhiannon on May 13, 2017, 10:17:14 AM
Whilst app;lauding the sentiments in the bill, I think it's a bit pointless. Unless one were to put camers in every room of every building, in every open space, and monitor them at every turn, policing this bill with any degree of accuracy would be nigh on impossible.

And yet we have laws against sex offences against children without these measures.
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Rhiannon on May 13, 2017, 10:20:27 AM
That is assaulting children.

ETA

I have to say I struggle with the idea that treating children to the same rights as adults not to be subject to being hit is in anyway controversial. Given that children are smaller and more vulberable , surely if anything they should be treated better not worse in this regard.

I agree. 'Not leaving a mark' just means damage that can be seen on the outside. The mental scars are still there, those caused by someone you love hurting you or scaring you (because smacking has to do either it both in order to work.) . Doctors, the police and social workers know this; it's about time that the law caught up.
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Nearly Sane on May 13, 2017, 10:30:45 AM
I agree. 'Not leaving a mark' just means damage that can be seen on the outside. The mental scars are still there, those caused by someone you love hurting you or scaring you (because smacking has to do either it both in order to work.) . Doctors, the police and social workers know this; it's about time that the law caught up.
It just seems incredible to me that we can consider hitting the most vulnerable as 'justifiable assault' There is something chilling about that idea.
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Rhiannon on May 13, 2017, 10:51:44 AM
It just seems incredible to me that we can consider hitting the most vulnerable as 'justifiable assault' There is something chilling about that idea.

The usual an argument is that 'I was smacked and it never did me any harm.' Yes it did, it taught you that it's ok to make someone smaller and more vulnerable than you, who trusts you and relies on you in order to feel safe, feel scared and hurt.
Title: Re: Equal Protection for Children Bill (Scotland)
Post by: Robbie on May 13, 2017, 11:56:21 AM
The usual an argument is that 'I was smacked and it never did me any harm.' Yes it did, it taught you that it's ok to make someone smaller and more vulnerable than you, who trusts you and relies on you in order to feel safe, feel scared and hurt.

Very well said!!!  The number of people I've heard who've said, @Nevver did me any harm", who've become quite harsh adults (not all of course)! Teacher friends too have felt it should be their right to use corporal punishment. Grrrr.

It's wrong to hit anyone unless you are defending yourself. Some people even used to smack 2 year olds!
(I wasn't smacked at home, was hit over knuckled with ruler by teacher -who had no right in my opinion!)