CANADIANS OVERWHELMINGLY BELIEVE THAT SPANKING SHOULD NOT BE MADE A CRIMINAL OFFENCE

With a national sample of 1,515, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the overall results are within +2.5 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger for other sub-groupings of the survey population.

ONLY 16% SAY IT SHOULD BE A CRIMINAL OFFENCE FOR A PARENT TO SPANK THEIR CHILD; AN OVERWHELMING 83% DISAGREE

An Angus Reid Group/ Globe and Mail / CTV poll released tonight indicates that only 16% of Canadians feel that it should be a criminal offence for a parent to spank their child. An overwhelming 83% disagree.

These are the highlights gleaned from a national Angus Reid Group/Globe and Mail/CTV telephone survey of 1,515 Canadian adults. Interviews were conducted between November 18th and November 26th, 1999. A sample size of 1,515 is said to have a corresponding margin of error of +2.5 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.

83% DISAGREE WITH MAKING SPANKING CHILDREN A CRIMINAL OFFENCE

More than eight in ten Canadians either somewhat (36%) or strongly (47%) disagree that it should be a criminal offence for parents to spank their children. On the other hand, one in six feel this form of punishment should be considered a criminal offence (7% strongly agree, 9% somewhat agree).

• Single parents (22%) are slightly more likely to be in favour of making spanking a criminal offence than parents who are married or living common-law (14%).
• Residents of Saskatchewan/Manitoba (91%) are the most likely to disagree with the notion that spanking children should be a criminal offence, while residents of Quebec or the Atlantic provinces are the most likely to support the idea (28% and 20% agree, respectively).
• Respondents aged 18 to 34 (22%) are more likely to agree with making it a criminal offence for parents to spank their children than 35 to 54 year olds (13%) or those 55 and older (14%).
• Respondents without a highschool diploma (24%) are the most likely of all education levels to support making spanking a criminal offence.
• Men (83%) and women (83%) equally oppose making it a criminal offence for a parent to spank a child.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(416) 324-2900