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The Mental Health Foundation believes a ban on smacking will help end extreme acts of violence against children.
The foundation has been making a submission to the Select Committee formed to consider the repeal of Section 59, which allows the use of reasonable force by parents when disciplining their children.
Foundation spokesperson, Tracey Sparksman, says Section 59 actually allows for extreme acts of violence to be used against children. She says it has been used as a defence in cases where children have been hit with lengths of wood or have been chained up to discourage wayward behaviour.
Sparkman says even if the bill is voted down the debate generated around an issue that often gets swept under the carpet has already had a positive effect.
The committee has also heard from the other side of the argument.
An opponent of the proposed ban on smacking says such a move would erode parental authority.
Steven Dromgool, a professional counsellor who works with families, says countries which have criminalised all forms of physical punishment against children have seen a sharp rise in youth crime.
Dromgool says parents need to be able to establish boundaries
for children and smacking is one way of doing this. He says if the
police had to prosecute parents for the use of reasonable force,
more children would be removed from homes unnecessarily, causing
even greater harm to the child.
