The Children are Unbeatable Alliance, comprising more than 400individuals and organisations, has also sent out thousands of letters topeople with a professional or political interest in children's rights,asking them to add their name to a 'BIG statement'.
The statement says, 'Equal protection from assault is every child'shuman right. Hitting children is wrong and the law should say so -now!'
The advertisement is part of a campaign of lobbying and other actionaimed at amending the Children and Young Persons Bill that is currentlygoing through Parliament.
Tony Samphier, the campaign communications consultant, said, 'In twoweeks time we will be launching a postcard campaign aimed at MPs andthings will unfold from there. A ban on smacking is necessary from ahuman rights and equality perspective, irrespective of what publicopinion is.'
Under UK laws, parents may discipline children with a smack that does nomore than cause a temporary reddening of the skin. However,anti-smacking campaigners say that a ban on corporal punishment forchildren is needed to comply with the United Nations Convention on theRights of the Child and the European Social Charter.
The Children are Unbeatable Alliance was founded in 1998 with supportersincluding 4Children, NCH, Save the Children and the Daycare Trust.Household names such as Jane Asher, Anna Ford and Richard Wilson havepublicly declared their support.
Further information:
www.childrenareunbeatable.org.uk.