Join NICCY and a growing number of organisations in the call for reform of the law to ensure that children have equal protection from physical punishment, and for clear action led by government for dedicated positive parenting information and support.
We want to see urgent legislative reform in Northern Ireland to remove the legal defence of ‘reasonable punishment’ to ensure that children are offered the same protection from assault as adults.
Our coalition partners, the NSPCC, have issued a letter calling for children in Northern Ireland to be given equal protection under the law.
Currently, the legal defence of ‘reasonable chastisement’ means that physical punishment of children can still be justified, leaving children with less protection from harm than adults.
As highlighted in the NSPCC’s open letter (see downloads), there is clear evidence that physical punishment can negatively impact children’s wellbeing, relationships, and long-term outcomes, and increase the risk of further harm.
Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have already introduced legislation to ensure equal protection for children, and this campaign is urging Northern Ireland to follow suit by supporting the equal protection amendment to the Justice Bill.
We would strongly encourage your organisation to:
- Sign the open letter in support of this campaign.
- Share the letter across your networks to help amplify the message and encourage more signatories. You can download this on the right-hand side of this page.
By supporting this campaign, we can collectively advocate for a safer and more protective environment for all children.
We also encourage you to spread the word and share this joint briefing paper and its key messages with others, particularly elected representatives.
- Equal Protection Briefing Paper – click here to download and view the paper.
List of supporters
- NICCY
- NSPCC
- Barnardos
- CLC
- Parenting NI
- Children in NI
- Early Years
- YouthAction Northern Ireland
- Women’s Aid
- Mencap
- Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
- British Association of Social Workers Northern Ireland
- Save the Children Northern Ireland
- Green Party NI
- Professor Siobhan O’Neill, Mental Health Champion for Northern Ireland
- Professor Laura Lundy
- Rachel Woods MLA – GPNI
- Erin Collins
- Bernie Bell
- Andrew Rawding
- Sinead Kelly
- Claire Campbell
- Paula Harbinson
- Emily Mahaffy
More Information
If you would like to discuss NICCY’s work on equal protection or the campaign, please contact Rachel at rachel@niccy.org.