It depresses me that the so-called "smacking debate" is dogged by so much negativity.

Giving children the same legal protection from being hit as adults would give us all cause to celebrate.

Ordinary parents have nothing to fear from law reform and, in fact, they have a lot to gain. Parents would not end up in the dock for minor incidents of physical punishment - this has never been the intention and never will be.

But law reform would indeed discourage the use of physical force to discipline children and help us deal with serious cases. It has been proved to work in many other countries.

There really is nothing reasonable about our law allowing "reasonable chastisement".

Children have less protection from being hit than any other member of society yet they are the most vulnerable. Hitting children is wrong - just like it is wrong for me to whack another adult - and the law should say so.

Our current law dates back to 1860 but, thankfully, we now have a better understanding of human rights and children's development than did the Victorians.

In a modern and fair UK, such an archaic law must be scrapped.

If you agree that children deserve equal protection, write to your MP now asking him or her to sign House of Commons Early Day Motion 1460 urging action on this issue.

-Dr Penelope Leach, Children Are Unbeatable Alliance, White Lion Street, London