A new survey of discipline in the home claims to have found physical punishment is used extensively on children. The study, commissioned by the Save the Children charity, interviewed 80 children aged five to 14 years.

It found that 92% of the children had experienced hitting or smacking and 40% of five to seven-year-olds reported being hit around the face, head or back.

Survey author Terry Dobbs says many of the children said they were hit out of anger. The majority said being smacked was often the first reaction of parents to something they did wrong. They also reported they were most often smacked for hurting others and were hit more often by men.

Dobbs says “many” of the children “voiced concern about the dangers of smacking” and thought “other types of punishment would be more effective”.

Save the Children says the research shows too many children are on the receiving end of physical punishment. Children’s advocates say the survey does accurately reflect what is happening in New Zealand.

Former children’s commissioner Dr Ian Hassall says New Zealanders do tend to hit children and surveys such as this one are useful as it makes people face the truth.