They identify a problem and offer a solution, but why do they never look at the cause?

There is, clearly, a distinct difference between administering a smack to your child when they've done something wrong, and beating them senseless. A smack on the wrist, or even a smack on the arse, is something that some parents choice to do to (a) instill discipline, or (b) as a punishment with the intent of achieving (a). What is important though is that it is the parent that decides how to bring their child up and whether they use corporal punishment as a means for doing so.

Today we have news of another consultation and proposed vote in Parliament on the issue of "banning smacking". Besides the obvious argument about Government interference into people's lives, what I;m having trouble getting my head round is how exactly one could enforce such a ban? I we going to see lessons at schools where teachers are schooling kids in grassing up their parents?

There is something worrying Orwellian about that thought I think. I would also think that such a law, if it were passed, would actually contradict the so-called "respect" agenda of the Government. One of the biggest problems we have today with the young and so-called "anti-social behaviour" is the whole notion of rights that we have wrapped around minors.

We now have a situation where the usually intelligent, but still obnoxious "hoodie", knows full well that if someone touches him he can scream all sort of accusations at them, be they the police or anyone else. By further enshrining in law a ban on smacking we are potentially extending that problem into the family home where the "if you touch me I'll report you" phrase will become a stock response.

In our ever greater desire to "protect" children we seem to be exacerbating other problems which are, as always, the unintended consequence, and it all happens as a result of failing to assess the impact of change properly. Thus we have the enshrinement of of certain rights which have increased the prevalence of anti-social behaviour. At the same time we have child protection laws which has resulted in the slow decline of the groups that do the work of keeping kids off the street.

One day, I imagine, someone will stop and realise that the problems they keep on identifying as requiring a solution are linked to the solution they last implemented to the last problem. The biggest challenge is fixing it though, because you cannot simply repeal everything otherwise you;re approach change (albeit retrograde change) in the same cavalier way.