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More than half of Canadians believe the law that protects parents if they spank their children should be scrapped.

According to a Feb. 17 Research Co. poll, 51 per cent of Canadians think it is time to abolish the law that allows parents to use "reasonable force" to discipline their children.

"More than three-in-five Canadians aged 18-to-34 (61 per cent) and a majority of those aged 35-to-54 (53 per cent) would like to end the use of force to discipline children," Research Co. president Mario Canseco said in a media release. "Support is lower among Canadians aged 55 and over (42 per cent)."

Quebecers favour scrapping the law more than any other province with 61 per cent wanting the legislation repealed, while Atlantic Canada along with Saskatchewan and Manitoba were the least enthusiastic with 45 per cent wanting spanking to be banned.

In British Columbia, 50 per cent want the "reasonable force" law dropped, that number drops to 49 per cent in Alberta and Ontario.

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Currently, parents – and theoretically teachers – are allowed to legally spank their children.

Under section 43 of the Criminal Code, the law states: "Every schoolteacher, parent or person standing in the place of a parent is justified in using force by way of correction toward a pupil or child, as the case may be, who is under his care, if the force does not exceed what is reasonable under the circumstances."

However, in May 2022, NDP MP Peter Julian tabled Bill C-273 which would repeal Section 43.

If the bill is successful it would put Canada in line with other countries that have already made it illegal to physically punish children. Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany and New Zealand have all outlawed the practice.

While the majority want the law scrapped, 58 per cent of Canadians agree with allowing parents to physically discipline their children. Sixty-five per cent of men agree parents should be allowed to physically discipline their children and 61 per cent of those aged 55 and over.

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One in four (26 per cent) still believe school teachers should be allowed to physically discipline children.

"Just over three-in-four of Canadians (61 per cent) acknowledge having been physically disciplined as children by a parent or guardian, while 22 per cent report the same experience at school," the release says.

Only 30 per cent of Canadians say they were never spanked as children, with that number jumping to 40 per cent for those aged 18-to-34. In Quebec 46 per cent say they were never physically disciplined as children.

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