Curia poll on Child Discipline Law
March 18, 2009
Family First have released details of a poll done by Curia in March 2009 on the 2007 law change to s59 of the Crimes Act that removed the defence of reasonable force for correctional purposes. Key findings:
- 83% said the law should be changed so it is not a criminal offence to lightly smack your child for correctional purposes
- 77% say the law will not reduce the rate of child abuse
- Only 31% understood that the law did not criminalise all smacking