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Smacking children linked to lower GCSE grades, study suggests

Published Wednesday, June 10, 2026

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A new study by University College London suggests a link between smacking children at age three and lower GCSE grades at age 16. The research, which analyzed data from nearly 8,000 individuals, found that smacked children scored nearly two points lower on average, even after controlling for various socioeconomic and health factors.

What We Know — Key Points

  • Scotland outlawed physical punishment of under-16s in 2020, and Wales followed in 2022.
  • A University College London (UCL) study suggests that children who were smacked at age three achieved lower average GCSE scores at 16 compared to those who were never smacked.
  • The UCL study, which analyzed data from nearly 8,000 people born in 2000-01, found that children smacked at age three scored 1.89 points lower on average in their GCSEs at age 16.
  • The study controlled for factors such as socioeconomic status, maternal education, and mental health.

What Is Claimed — Perspectives

  • BBC NewsCenter

    The article presents a new study's findings on the impact of smacking children, highlighting calls for legal reform in England and Northern Ireland while also including opposing viewpoints.

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  • Key points, perspectives, bias labels, and categorisation may contain errors.
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