Bill seeks to ban spanking of children in Canada

There are calls on the federal government to withdraw a section of the Criminal Code that currently makes it legal for parents and caregivers to use corrective force or physical punishment to discipline children.

Last week NDP House Leader Peter Julian urged the government to repeal section 43 of the Criminal Code – a section often referred to as “the spanking law.”

“We call on the Trudeau government to put an immediate end to the corporal punishment of all children in Canada,” said Julian. “Children are among the most vulnerable people in our society. It is time to take meaningful action to protect children and ensure they aren’t being harmed by their parents and legal guardians.”

Julian says his call is in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s sixth call for action, which also calls for the repeal of section 43 of the Criminal Code.

Spanking could be considered child abuse

Clinical psychologist Jay Greenfield believes spanking doesn’t work. He says it shouldn’t be done, and he would also like to see section 43 amended.

“When you engage in spanking-type behaviour, you’re modelling the same thing for your kids to do the same thing to other people – whether that is a sibling or a friend,” said Greenfield.

In section 43, spanking is not necessarily a criminal offence. However in some circumstances, spanking could still be considered child abuse. For example, spanking a child hard enough that it leaves a mark or bruise would not be considered reasonable force.

“I think that parents need to be educated about the importance of connecting with their children to change behaviours,” said family therapist Donna Youngdahl.

Acts of #Reconciliation need ACTION. Thank you for standing up for the rights of #children and #youth across #Canada. #Repeal43 #TRC #ChildrenFirst #canpoli https://t.co/tbKwF3rlmf

— Children First (@children1stca) December 8, 2022

Spanking can lead to behaviour problems: therapist

Youngdahl says spanking a child can create relationship issues and behavioural problems down the road. She believes spanking isn’t meeting the child’s needs or addressing why they acted improperly in the first place.

“In order to help children change the behaviour, what they need to feel is love, connection, good boundaries, nurtured, and the most effective intervention for behavioural issues is finding out what the underlying needs of the child are,” she said.

Youngdahl says removing the child from the environment that triggered the unwanted actions could help, but the child should not be left alone or isolated. Instead she recommends having a conversation about how the child feels and why, and offering them coping strategies like deep breathing, or redirecting their focus to a new activity.

“We’re not perfect parents, we all make mistakes, we all lose our tempers,” she said. “But if we allow ourselves to be overcome by anger when our child is angry, we’re not going to help the situation.”