‘We are not tackling the real causes of child abuse’ – report claims anti-smacking law has failed
TVNZ OneNews 11 February 2016
A new report claims New Zealand’s anti-smacking law has done very little to stem the abuse of children.
Family First claim that not a single indicator relating to the abuse of children has improved and argue that it has got worse.
The organisation’s report claims Child, Youth and Family has reached the point of ‘saturation’ and can no longer handle the level of notifications it is receiving.
And it says the law has negatively impacted law-abiding parents.
The report was put to Child, Youth and Family by TVNZ’s Breakfast programme for a response. However, CYF said it did not want to be linked to the report.
The report, Defying Human Nature: An Analysis of New Zealand’s 2007 Anti-Smacking Law, examines the social indicators relating to child abuse affecting children and families in the years leading up to the ban on smacking and then since the law was passed.
It says police statistics show there has been a 136% increase in physical abuse, 43% increase in sexual abuse, 45% increase in neglect or ill-treatment of children, and 71 child abuse deaths since the law was passed.
“The research results are disturbing, but not surprising.”
Family First director Bob McCoskrie
“The fact that so many social indicators around the welfare of children continue to worsen proves that we simply are not tackling the real causes of child abuse,” Bob McCoskrie, national director of Family First NZ, and author of the report, says.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/we-are-not-tackling-the-real-causes-of-child-abuse-report-claims-anti-smacking-law-has-failed
Family First reignites smacking debate
NZ Herald 11 February 2016
Family First has reignited its calls for the anti-smacking law to be changed to allow light smacking, saying child abuse and welfare statistics show no improvement since the law was passed in 2007.
Family First has released a report on the impact of the anti-smacking law, including analysis of changes in statistics in areas such as child abuse, neglect and behavioural problems since 2007.
Family First has long lobbied against the anti-smacking law, saying it was unnecessary and would lead to parents being punished for trivial offences.
National director Bob McCoskrie said none of the relevant social indicators for abuse and welfare had significantly improved since the anti-smacking law passed in 2007, despite claims at the time that it would help to address child abuse.
“The fact is so many social indicators around the welfare of children prove we simply are not tackling the real causes of child abuse.
READ MORE: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11587837
Larry Williams: Stats show child abuse on rise
NZ Herald 11 February 2016
Family First have released an analysis of the 2007 anti-smacking law. It proves beyond doubt that the law has been ineffective in reducing child abuse. To the contrary, abuse has skyrocketed.
Police stats show there has been a 136 per cent increase in physical abuse, 43 per cent increase in sexual abuse, 45 per cent increase in neglect or ill-treatment of children, and 71 child abuse deaths since the law was passed. CYF have had more than one million notifications of abuse and there has been a 42 per cent increase in physical abuse found since 2007.
Sadly, these shocking child abuse statistics don’t surprise me at all. Criminalising good parents for lightly smacking their kid was never going to address the underbelly of New Zealand society – feral parents.
Why the politicians thought an anti-smacking law would lead rotten parents to suddenly stop beating their kids always escaped me. There is a difference between discipline and violence. The politicians going into bat for an anti-smacking law didn’t understand this.
READ MORE: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11587550
Anti-smacking law has ‘failed to reduce child abuse’: Family First report
Stuff co.nz 11 February 2016
The anti-smacking law has failed to put a dent in New Zealand’s high rates of child abuse, according to a new report.
However, the MP behind the change has dismissed the claims as “ridiculous and illogical”, saying the law has started to change the culture of violence against children in New Zealand.
The repeal of section 59 of the Crimes Act in 2007 – the “anti-smacking law” – removed the defence of “reasonable force” for adults who smacked their children, passing into law despite protests from opponents.
A new report from conservative lobby group Family First, one of the strongest opponents to the anti-smacking law, claims “not a single social indicator” relating to child abuse has significantly improved since the law was passed.
READ MORE: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/76773287/antismacking-law-has-failed-to-reduce-child-abuse-family-first-report
“The research results are disturbing, but not surprising.”
Family First director Bob McCoskrie
“The fact that so many social indicators around the welfare of children continue to worsen proves that we simply are not tackling the real causes of child abuse,” Bob McCoskrie, national director of Family First NZ, and author of the report, says.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/we-are-not-tackling-the-real-causes-of-child-abuse-report-claims-anti-smacking-law-has-failed
Family First reignites smacking debate
NZ Herald 11 February 2016
Family First has reignited its calls for the anti-smacking law to be changed to allow light smacking, saying child abuse and welfare statistics show no improvement since the law was passed in 2007.
Family First has released a report on the impact of the anti-smacking law, including analysis of changes in statistics in areas such as child abuse, neglect and behavioural problems since 2007.
Family First has long lobbied against the anti-smacking law, saying it was unnecessary and would lead to parents being punished for trivial offences.
National director Bob McCoskrie said none of the relevant social indicators for abuse and welfare had significantly improved since the anti-smacking law passed in 2007, despite claims at the time that it would help to address child abuse.
“The fact is so many social indicators around the welfare of children prove we simply are not tackling the real causes of child abuse.
READ MORE: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11587837
Larry Williams: Stats show child abuse on rise
NZ Herald 11 February 2016
Family First have released an analysis of the 2007 anti-smacking law. It proves beyond doubt that the law has been ineffective in reducing child abuse. To the contrary, abuse has skyrocketed.
Police stats show there has been a 136 per cent increase in physical abuse, 43 per cent increase in sexual abuse, 45 per cent increase in neglect or ill-treatment of children, and 71 child abuse deaths since the law was passed. CYF have had more than one million notifications of abuse and there has been a 42 per cent increase in physical abuse found since 2007.
Sadly, these shocking child abuse statistics don’t surprise me at all. Criminalising good parents for lightly smacking their kid was never going to address the underbelly of New Zealand society – feral parents.
Why the politicians thought an anti-smacking law would lead rotten parents to suddenly stop beating their kids always escaped me. There is a difference between discipline and violence. The politicians going into bat for an anti-smacking law didn’t understand this.
READ MORE: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11587550
Anti-smacking law has ‘failed to reduce child abuse’: Family First report
Stuff co.nz 11 February 2016
The anti-smacking law has failed to put a dent in New Zealand’s high rates of child abuse, according to a new report.
However, the MP behind the change has dismissed the claims as “ridiculous and illogical”, saying the law has started to change the culture of violence against children in New Zealand.
The repeal of section 59 of the Crimes Act in 2007 – the “anti-smacking law” – removed the defence of “reasonable force” for adults who smacked their children, passing into law despite protests from opponents.
A new report from conservative lobby group Family First, one of the strongest opponents to the anti-smacking law, claims “not a single social indicator” relating to child abuse has significantly improved since the law was passed.
READ MORE: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/76773287/antismacking-law-has-failed-to-reduce-child-abuse-family-first-report
