What is Acceptable Child Discipline?

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Suzie, FRG Adviser
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Re: What is Acceptable Child Discipline?

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Wed Jul 24, 2019 2:26 pm

€thisy wrote: Sun Jun 23, 2019 7:56 pm I was with my friends children and one of the older ones was nasty towards one of the smaller ones.
I didnt know what to do as the kid i was looking after began crying and clinging me so i took hold of the bigger ones hand and tapped it saying firmly no. The mum of the bigger child was with me and the second mum informed when we arrived home.
Not a nice situation to be in though.
Dear Ethisy

Thank you for your posts and welcome to the parents discussion forum. You have already received a private message response to one of your posts and I will respond to the other posts which, are varied, in this post.

Firstly, in respect of acceptable discipline for a child, this will depend on the circumstances and what form the discipline takes. A light smack or what is termed reasonable chastisement is not unlawful but any smack which leaves a mark on the child, for example, clear marks, welts, bruises or scratches is an offence for which could lead to prosecution , and a parent could face up to five years.

Obviously, for some people any form of smacking is seen as unacceptable so a parent should decide for themselves with their own child.

Regarding what you say about a parenting plan, this is usually used where parents are involved in private law proceedings. This is where, the case relates to parents or others attending court to resolves issues relating to contact. Private law proceedings does not fall within our remit, we advise where children’s services are involved with a family.

Finally, regarding your post relating to police protection order (PP), the police would not normally attend at the hospital where a mother has given birth, unless requested to do so by children’s services.

The instances where this might happen is where parents do not agree to a child being looked after by children’s services (that is accommodated) and they are of the view that the child’s safety requires removal. Since children’s services cannot remove a child without a parent’s agreement or a court order, they will ask the police to do so. A removal by the police lasts for 72 hours after this children's services must have the parent’s consent to the continued removal or seek an order of from the court.

You sought advice from your solicitor in your particular circumstances and acted on that advice.

Where a mother is in a relationship involving domestic violence and, she is unwilling to end that relationship, then there will be concerns about her ability to put her child’s needs first and to safeguard that child from emotional abuse which often flows from being in an environment where there is domestic violent. Please read information here for mothers where domestic violence is an issue.

A court is unlikely to place a child in a situation where he or she will be exposed to domestic violence.

Should you wish to speak to an adviser, please telephone our advice line on 0800 801 0366. The advice line is open from 9.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes

Suzie

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