Scotland's children's hearings authority has defended producing a recruitment poster showing a father threatening to hit a child in an advertising campaign described by a protesting fathers' rights group  as "hate male" .

Children's Hearings Scotland says research found that fathers and male partners are more likely to perpetrate severe maltreatment but insisted they do not "seek" to portray all men or women as abusers or violent.

The New Fathers4Justice group who are concerned about the posters are planning a protest at the Children's Hearings Scotland  headquarters in Edinburgh.

A statement on behalf of Matt O’Connor, founder of Fathers4Justice founder, first raised concerns about the posters, saying institutional discrimination against dads "must end" and that ‘hate male’ adverts like these "failed to tackle the reality of domestic abuse when it affected all family members, irrespective of gender".

Of the three Children's Hearings Scotland posters produced in the campaign to recruit panel volunteers, one features a female and there is criticism that the other two depict men as aggressors.

Fathers4Justice is most concerned about a poster with the slogan 'You Could Be All That's Between Jamie And Another Beating', and shows a man raising his hand to a screaming child.

Another with the slogan "You Could Be All That's Between Kate And Another Night Of Abuse", shows a girl in bed staring at a male figure approaching her.

The poster that features a female carries the slogan "You Could be All That's Between Emma and Another Injury" and features a sleeping woman unaware of a child who appears to show an interest in a gas fire.

A CHS spokesman said: "The adverts display both men and women and provide examples of the type of regrettable situations panel members have to discuss and take decisions on. 

"That can range from physical to mental abuse, substance abuse by one or other or both parents which impacts adversely on a child or young person’s wellbeing, neglect, offending behaviour and self-harm, to give a few examples."

The spokesman added: "They are intended to indicate that becoming a panel member can involve some tough decisions."

Boyd McAdam, national convener of Children’s Hearings Scotland added: “There are three adverts used in the print campaign – two of which feature scenarios involving males, and one which features a female. The scenarios depicted are based on the type of cases that are brought before a children’s hearing, including neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse."

He said the content of the campaign was based on "both research and robust testing".

He said: "Creative development was informed by research carried out by the NSPCC in 2009 which found that fathers and male partners are more likely to perpetrate severe maltreatment and are also the large majority of sexual abuse perpetrators."

" A further NSPCC report in 2014 highlighted that men were responsible for severe physical abuse in 72.9% of cases involving 11-17 year olds and that women are more likely than men to neglect their children.

“The campaign was robustly tested using a number of focus groups with representation from people from a range of backgrounds, including young males, who were given a range of different creative routes to consider, including scenarios involving both males and females. The final creative used was based on the feedback from these focus groups.

“We are sensitive to concerns raised, but it categorically isn’t our intention to portray specific genders as abusive or violent. The campaign has been developed to show three key types of abuse using insight from published research with sensitivity to age, gender and public taste, as well as UK regulatory advertising guidelines.

“Only by showing the types of complex and challenging cases panel members face, can we appeal to and attract the right individuals to help ensure vulnerable children and young people in Scotland who come before a children’s hearing are offered the best possible support.”

A New Fathers4Justice spokesman said that they took a call from CHS about their concerns. 

"Although we accept that the offence caused may have not been intentional we told him that the use of gender stereotypes was not acceptable and that Children's Hearings Scotland must withdraw the poster and publically state that women also pose a risk and could also give children a 'Beating'. Otherwise our protest will go ahead.

"We don't just talk the talk! We walk the walk and still use direct action protests."

Matt O’Connor of Fathers4Justice said: "The response from CHS is deliberately misleading, selective and plain wrong.   They cannot argue that it is not their intention to portray a specific gender as abusive or violent, when that is what they have done.

"Demonising 50% of the Scottish population on the basis of their gender is unacceptable.

"Fathers4Justice will be asking CHS for a copy of the report they quote from, however we should state that according to the Office for National Statistics in 2013/14, 8.5% of women and 4.5% of men had experienced domestic abuse in the past year, equivalent to 1.4 million female victims and 700,000 male victims.

"Attitudes like these show Scotland is living in the dark ages and putting children at greater risk of abuse....”