The latest horrible view from this so called christian is he's thinks it is perfectly all right to smack a child. Please do not let this poor excuse for a man win Big Brother.

so do most people

I thik you'll find he is not alone in his belief - I happen to agree with him, although there is a fine line between smacking and hitting - and believe that every child is different and therefore parents should know what is best for them.

I would agree with that though. I was smacked when I was little and naughty and it never did me any harm at all. There is a BIG difference between a short sharp smack and child abuse.

Kinda gets me annoyed when people bang on about the violence breeds violence in relation to smacking. As long as you're sensible and don't whack the kid across the room, obviously.

With Cam on that one - in the right context of course. And I'm not going to debate why, because it will be interminable once again - just like the gay thing. Just asserting that his view is not unique or particularly unusual.

This is one of those arguements that could go one forever !
Smacked children could either respond to it and behave or rebel and become worse. Same as with children that are not smacked could respond or think they can do what they want - all depends on the children, but unfair to say that all hit children will become worse and all children that aren't hit will be little angels.

Hope that maded sense !

I liked the way he say that *maybe* a law should be introduced when it came to things like a belt! There's no maybe about it-that kind of crap should have gone out with the cane!

I smacked my children once each and they have grown up to be well adjusted adults , never been in any kind of trouble they are kind and caring. Not like some of the children who they went to school with who ended up in all kinds of trouble because they never had any deterent. Let to run wild without any discipline.

Too bloody right! I see too many parents these days trying to appease their children with the contents of their wallets.

The "I want!" culture is getting waaay out of control, but is probably down to the 00's lifestyle of parents working more and not spending time with their kids.

Hell, I'm not having any.... not with any luck!

I had a few little slaps around the back of the legs when a child - but I'm not at all violent, in fact I'm a pasifist!!!
But if I had children, they would still be corrected with the odd slap!

I'm also a great animal lover, but in teaching a puppy, to stop it run in the road and killing itself, I would give it a tap!

I bet you are all dying to know what the bible says so here it is:

"Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell." King Solomon, The Bible, Proverbs 23:14

I did a search on google btw, I don't read the bible.

Crikey, everyone is agreeing (mostly) with each other!

*in shock*

“There might be a case for a belt or something…”

I think most of us would start to feel uneasy by this point...

Cameron also felt it was not necessary to introduce a law to protect children: “There might be a case for a belt or something…”

I read that as meaning there should be a law protecting children against being beaten with a belt, not that he approves of using a belt.

It always seems rather incongrous to me that you can hit a child, but do the same to an adult and you'll get prosecuted.

If smacking works, then why cant your boss give you a 'light tap' on the back on the hand if you do something wrong?.

In response to 'smacking never did me any harm'..I'll say, as far as Im concerned, NOT being smacked as a child never did me any harm!.

Thanks for that, Mrs. Daily Mail reader.

Have you ever asked your children *their* views on being hit?

Exactly which just proves that different children need different forms of punishment, some will need a smack every so often. However, there should be a law on excessive smacking and using a belt is clearly way over the top. There is no "might be a case for it", it should be illegal, full stop.

I agree 100%. I was never hit as a child - I was disciplined and taught the "difference between right and wrong" in other ways. If I misbehaved, I was not allowed out, denied pocket money, had a favourite book temporarily confiscated etc. I find hitting children (specifically small children) absolutely disgusting behaviour.

I don't know if anyone watched Cutting Edge-Bad Behaviour last night, but it showed that there are other effective ways than smacking. I have mixed feelings towards this subject and maybe that is because as the oldest child of three my dad tended to smack me to often and make excuses for my younger siblings and they were never touched. The result being an adult who although not violent was for years a sufferer of low self esteem and depression.

I never do anything wrong, cos I was smacked as a child

Seriously tho, perhaps it's cos as an adult you are more opening to reasoning? It's difficult to reason with very young children who can hardly string a sentence together.

But, I'm with the person that said it's up to the parents. I personally would use smacking if I felt it necessary.

What DOES make me annoyed is parents who don't seem to even try to control their kids at all.

Fine he has a view that it is right to smack a child when they are doing something wrong!

But i was completely shocked when he said its alright to give a child the belt!

Lets hope the NSPCC or Child line acts on this!

One thing for sure i wouldn't want Cameron as a family member

Indeed. Adults are well protected against assult by the law, but there seems be a terrible lot of hand-wringing and confusion about protecting the most vulnerable people in our society from such assults.

Smacking instills the idea that large people have a right to "correct" small people with physical violence. I've not met a child who likes being hit. Most righfully react with anger and tears, that is if they aren't smacked again for demonstrating the hurt as is often the case.

Sadly, I was smacked as a child and it only made me dislike and fear my parents.

As all children instinctively love their parents and look to them for protection it must be highly confusing that these same people would physically assult them.

Yes I have. As I said I only needed to do it once that was the deterent. They where happy with that . They grew up knowing right from wrong at an early age. They were asked to do or not do things first if they did not then they would be reminded of the deterent. I never had to do it again.
Maybe if you had been disciplined as a child you would'nt be so rude now.
I feel until you have children 24/7 you do not have the right to judge.

Looking after children full time is the hardest and the best job anyone could ever have.

Don't be so stupid. Read what was said :

Quote :

Cameron also felt it was not necessary to introduce a law to protect children: “There might be a case for a belt or something…”

So hes saying that though he doesn't think there should be a blanket law, he does believe there is a case for law to prevent the using of a belt or similar.

I'm not defending Cameron's view on child "correction", but I don't like that his words get taken out of context as yet another hysterical excuse to bash.

My mum did they same - She must have hit me once (I don't even remember so that tells you what effect it had on me) - and all she had to do to stop me misbehaving was grab my hand and threaten to hit me - but she never did.
Mum wouldn't let my dad hit us though - I think sometimes Men don't realise that they can hit a little bit too hard - Hope that doesn't sound sexist, as it isn't supposed to be, but I think women are more capable of a gentle smack