My brothers and I were spanked and they occasionally got the belt, was this legal?

Question

I'm 25 with two brothers, 4 and 6 years older. We were sometimes hit and I'm wondering if it was legal - this was in the UK in the 80s and 90s.

I got smacked on the bum or legs, usually by my dad, and *very* occasionally had my pants pulled down for a spanking (hand only). The last time that happened I was about 8. I wasn't really hit after the age of 11 except for being slapped across the face once when I was 13.

My brothers occasionally got the belt. I never did, but was threatened with it. The older one only got it once that I remember, the younger a few times, the last time I think he was 14 (so it was about 1992).

I only got hit with an object once - my grandma once spanked me on the bare bottom with a wooden spoon when I was six.

I've always wondered how much of this was legal and whether any of it was abuse. I have never known what the law was then and always wondered.

Just to add, I don't really have any issues about this, I'm just curious as to whether my parents broke the law.

(The younger of my brothers didn't get on with my dad for a long time though.)

Wow, people are rude here. I ask a question out of curiosity and people start accusing me of trying to make something out of nothing and tell me to get over myself? I'm just curious, I didn't know who to ask and figured a question and answer community was the way forward. I did not expect people to be so damn rude.

Answer 1

no, this punishment is not illegal. if you could walk afterwards, you were fine. if you were bleeding and sent to the hospital or had bruises for months, permanent scarring, ect. that would be abuse.

it was not abuse.

Answer 2

#1 She should NOT spank anyone naked. That's over the top #2 How old is the child? And had she already talked to her about whatever she did wrong? #3 Disciplining YOUR child should always be legal. The government didn't give birth to them so why the hell should they have a say so in raising them unless they are giving ALL of us money to support them! Instead they are raising taxes and the cost of living! #4 Either you spank your precious child with a belt or you let the police beat your precious child with a baton...your choice. The government would be in a better place if they stayed out of people household and let the families and communities take care of the kids. The government has enough **** to fix. let the churches and the families and the communities take care of the kids. That's how it always been and it worked until the Government put their hand in things. Now we have kids killing kids and parents killing kids cuz they can't spank them so the build up anger and just POW! Ever heard the saying "It takes a village to raise a child". That is true. You need more than one opinion on the matter but you DONT need a politician giving you rules on how to run your house. He/She didn't go thru labor, ain't paying college tuition, diapers, formula, schooling,etc so why interfere? My opinion on discipline is this. Depending on what happened, if it can be talked about in family discussion, then talk and make expectations and goals so that it doesn't happen again. If it does then maybe one last talk and explain the next time is punishment. Grounding kids works on some kids. Some kids could care less if u took the phone or the computer or the game. I was one of those. But when u took all that plus I got a spanking. O that was it. I straightened up. #1 who pays the bills #2 who providing food, clothes, & shelter? Well until that child can provide for his/herself they need to understand, your house, your rules and if they don't like, then they have other options of moving out. Legally any child under 18 falls on the parent. If your child goes out and commits fraud, the parent is responsible and have to pay the money back. O yes, that child is getting what we call an A.W. (*** Whopping). So until he/she is 18, their *** belong to the parent. I'm just being blunt and not sugar cooting it. We tip toe around things and then people are confused. The truth is children need discipline. A GOOD parent knows how to discipline their child and knows what level they need to take it to. If you are a parent that don't talk to your child about life and decision making then NO you should not spank your child for something you never taught them. But who's to determine if you ever did or didn't? Spanking should be done within reason and the punishment should always fit the crime. BUT never in a million, billion, trillion years will I ever spank my kids naked with a belt. That's straight flesh and I'm not trying to bruise them, but I do want them to know that I mean business and I love them. And I rather discipline my child than the Streets! or the COPS!

Answer 3

Almost certainly it was legal in the UK then. Whether it would be legal today is a moot point - the law on parental spankings is still unclear. My guess is that it would be, certainly as far as the hand-spankings are concerned. Belt or wooden spoon - that would probably depend on how severe the spankings were, and whether they left welts or bruises.

Sorry some respondents have been rude. QA does seem to attract people who get very hot under the collar for no good reason. If it's any consolation, lots of questioners have encountered far worse.

Answer 4

I got smacked as a child, got the belt as well when i was particularly stubborn. At the time I thought it was the end of the world, but back then it was not illegal. More the norm than anything else.

Do it now though, and you may find yourself in a bit of hot water. That said, I'd probably smack my kids for doing some of the same things I got smacked for as a child. And credit to my parents, I never came away with any bruising or other on-toward effects and it kept me on the straight and narrow.

Answer 5

First off of they whooped you for no reason or they beat you to the point where you can't move or your bleeding/brusied badly then its abuse. However if you did something wrong then they should beat you butt ( no more than two or three hits). Dang what is wrong with ppl these days. I mean come on why in the world is hitting a child when they are disobeying or breaking the rules/laws such a debate? If a kid is doing disobeying they should get whooped. Otherwise the parents are letting their kids grow up to become rude jerks!!!By the way I'm only 15 and I see kids my age talk back to their parents and treat them like crap and the parents sit there and take it when they should whoop them.

Answer 6

This is debate that has gone on for years. Techically smacking your children is illegal, but i personally think that smacking children is sometimes needed, some children just dnt listen or learn otherwise. I know there is a fine line between a smack and abuse so to cut it all out all of it should be classed as wrong. I got smacked a child and it made me learn not to do it again! I also learnt what was right and wrong and at the time I couldnt see why I got smacked, but now I would smack my child for the same thing!

Answer 7

Think some people may be getting a bit over excited re your question. In my opinion - No - this was not abuse, only a severe way of disiplining young lads. maybe you and your brothers were just getting a wee bit out of control, and this was just to get you into line, not done out of cruelty but of concern as to how you might end up, ie. in some sort of trouble.
Certainly not illegal at that time, the smacking law came in later.
I smacked my children when they were younger, not as little children but when they reached the early teens, the only method of control I knew, (learnt from my childhood) and they have both turned out wonderful and I'm very proud of them, as I'm sure your parents are of you.

Answer 8

well i bet it did you no harm'not only 80 s 90s but long before that even schools were allowed to give you the cane' a wooden stick and that was for being cheeky or fighting in the playgroung' it was legal to do this its only been in the last few years it is illegall to slap you own chilg and this is why the kids of today (not all children) are in so much trouble and so cheeky an dno respect are like they are, even when i was growing up if a policeman caught you mitching from school you were marched home and punished for it' and that wasn't so long ago.

Answer 9

my parents use to smack me in the 70is it did me no harm in fact it taught me to respect my parents i wasnt against the law then but now were there are so many youngsters getting pregnant they had to bring in new laws about hitting children to me as long as its the parents that give there kids a small smack now and again i cant see the harm but i would be so cross it i was to see someone other than the parent smack them .LYNNO i think we think alike .
kids get away with so much now a days and there is not a lot we can do thats why you get all tihs trouble in school etc because teachers cannot punish them .

Answer 10

I am pretty sure it is illegal in the UK to hit a child with a belt, or any other object. You can smack your child on the bum with the palm of your hand as long as it doesn't leave a bruise.

Answer 11

now, it would be considered abuse but then, it was just punishment. i grew up in the 60's(in the states) we got spanked a lot and sometimes got the belt. it was just the way things were. everyone i knew got it too.a sign of the times i guess. i'm no worse for it and i never thought of it as abuse. let it go. you weren't mamed or anything. it's probably how your dad was punished so it's how he punished you.it's what he knew.