Ray* had a very strict dad.

He had survived World War II as a child and later served in the army himself, and the experience seemed to harden him.

It also influenced other aspects of his life as well — like how he raised his kids.

"Life under my father was like living in the army, pretty regimental," Ray said.

"If I did anything wrong, there was no counselling … I usually got a hiding."

One time when Ray was about six years old he was playing outside with his sister when it started raining. Rather than come indoors they splashed around in the water.

Ray's mum scolded them and changed their clothes, but his dad was furious and gave them both a belting.

"I'm 67 now and I still remember it," Ray said.

He swore he'd never use physical punishment on his own kids — but he says his wife had other ideas.

There appears to be little consensus among the public on smacking. ( Supplied: Pexels )

'It was a point of tension'

Smacking children as a form of discipline remains a deeply divisive issue in this country.

According to the Australia Talks National Survey, 47 per cent of Australians believe it's acceptable, compared to 38 per cent who disagree.

For people like Ray, this divide can cause strains in family relationships that can last generations.

His strongly held view is that it's never acceptable, and whether you tap a child with two fingers or a strap, you're telling the child it's OK to be violent.

"Unfortunately my wife decided she thought smacking was OK," he said.

"It was a point of tension. Quite a strong point.

"We would often have heated discussions about whether the child should be smacked or not.

"Her view was, 'Well how will they learn if I don't smack them?'"

They eventually separated when their kids were still young, and when they stayed with Ray he would use other forms of discipline if they did something wrong — like taking away privileges.

But Ray's daughter is now an adult with a child of her own, and he says much to his dismay she smacks her kids.

"God knows why. She knew the reasons I didn't but that's her choice," he said.

"As a grandparent, you just have to sit back and observe. You can't say too much."

Data shows smacking going out of favour

Australians are far from alone in using smacking as form of discipline.

A 2014 report by UNICEF found that worldwide 80 per cent of children are smacked or otherwise physically punished by their parents.

Smacking is also one of the most examined aspects of parenting, with hundreds of studies seeking to determine if there's a connection between physical punishment and the emotional and behavioural effect on kids.

A meta-analysis of these studies — completed in 2016 by the American Psychological Association — found "there is no evidence that spanking does any good for children and all evidence points to the risk of it doing harm".

Data shows the younger generation are notably less inclined to smack. ( Supplied: Wiki Commons )

Still, it is legal for parents and guardians to physically punish children in Australia, says Patrick Lenta, an associate Professor in the Law Faculty at University of Technology Sydney.

"In some states there is a common law defence permitting parents [and sometimes teachers] lawfully to administer 'reasonable' corporal punishment, while in other states the defence is contained in legislation," he said.

Yet the Australia Talks data also shows the practice is going out of favour, with those agreeing it is acceptable consistently dropping off as the age bracket rises.

This comes as some comfort to Ray, whose anti-smacking stance makes him an outlier in his age bracket, and he suggests younger generations are "more informed or socially more relaxed, because my generation in life was fairly intense."

Still, ABC readers have shared their own views on the issue and reveal there remains a broad range of deeply held opinions on the topic.

"I got smacked as a child and when I looked back I deserved it. It didn't do me any harm," Kathy said.

"It's completely acceptable in the right circumstances. Only for punishment and never in anger," Ian said.

"Look around you and observe the precious snowflakes fluttering around our country today. There is a massive misguided sense of entitlement in today's little darlings," Gary said.

On the other hand, others said it led to unintended consequences.

"I was given the belt and it made me terrified to own up to anything. I became quite angry and resentful that someone could punish a child so harshly for doing what kids do," Sue said.

"If anything, smacking points to parents' impatience and exasperation. So no, it's not an acceptable form of discipline," Akira said.

* Name has been changed to protect privacy

The Australia Talks National Survey asked 54,000 Australians about their lives and what keeps them up at night. Use our interactive tool to see the results and how Australians' answers compare with yours — available in English, simplified Chinese, Arabic and Vietnamese.

Then, join Annabel Crabb as she takes you through some of the most surprising and exciting insights with Waleed Aly on the ABC TV special on iview.