Parenting expert Sarah Ockwell-Smith has appeared on Good Morning Britain following the release of her brand-new book, Because I Said So, to discuss the issue of childism.

In the discussion, which you can watch here, Sarah, an advocate of ‘gentle parenting’, discusses the difference between discipline and punishment, and how the mistreatment of children in our society is unjust. She says:

“This mistreatment of children – the most vulnerable members of society – is neither funny nor just. It is childism. Childism is no different to any other harmful discrimination – racism or sexism, for example. We sit children on naughty steps, stick them in ‘isolation booths’ at school, and take away their favourite things to ‘teach them respect’. But these punishments don’t work; all they succeed in doing is traumatising the child and often producing a damaged adult.”

Society is making great strides in increasing awareness of oppression and injustice, but one group remain mistreated, with unequal human rights, and remains under-discussed: children.

A timely book blending together childcare history, sociology, psychology, anthropology and current affairs and pop-culture coverage, Because I Said So aims to raise awareness of a much undiscussed issue, but one that will surely be spoken of increasingly in the future. It is an urgent call to action, as Sarah argues that if we want to change the world for the better, we must start with treating our children better.

Because I Said So is out now. Grab your copy here or, better, via your local bookshop or Bookshop.org.

You can follow Sarah on Twitter @TheBabyExpert.