Archive for the media statement Category
June 23, 2009
Media release: Barnardos New Zealand 23 June 2009
“It’s bad that they are smacking them. It’s good that they are disciplining them but they shouldn’t be hitting them really hard. Maybe they could send them to the corner”
11-year old girl who participated in the What’s Up survey.
The debate around the Referendum ’09 on physical punishment has been widely debated by adults but who is listening to the voice of those who are at the centre of this debate – the children?
As New Zealand’s largest telephone helpline for children and young people, 0800WHATSUP provided an opportunity for children and young people to express their views about physical punishment and whether or not adults should be able to claim a legal defence if charged with assaulting a child.
“The initial results from the survey show that the majority of callers (more than 55 percent) do not think parents taken to court for hitting a child should be let off if they say they were disciplining the child”, says Murray Edridge, Chief Executive of Barnardos New Zealand.
“Despite this, comments from the children and young people who participated in the survey suggest many children are conditioned to expect and accept physical discipline from parents. Importantly, many of the callers suggested that parents should be let off with a warning or community service if they perpetrated low levels of violence against children”.
“This is how the child discipline law is working in practice. Parents are not being prosecuted for lightly or occasionally smacking a child, only serious levels of violence are being prosecuted”.
“Barnardos welcomes the sample of results in the survey that provide valuable insights into the views of children and young people about physical punishment. We are pleased that What’s Up has done this survey, giving children and young people the opportunity to express their point of view about a subject matter that affects them most in Referendum ’09”, concluded Mr Edridge.
Download the full report.
The telephone survey was conducted from 27 April to 10 May and was successful in eliciting a large proportion of meaningful votes and comments, with a response rate of around 10%. What’s Up continues to invite children and young people to express their point of view on the matter of “smacking” until the referendum closes on 21 August.
Contact:
Uschi Klein, Communications Advisor
DDI (04) 382 6717
Mobile 027 228 3088
PO Box 6434, Wellington
June 23, 2009
Media release, Tu Wahine Trust. 22 June 2009
‘Tick Yes for Tikanga Maori’ is the message being promoted by Tu Wahine Trust in West Auckland in response to the upcoming referendum. Maori must reject the law that sanctions the abuse of our tamariki and vote YES to help restore our cultural well-being practices says Sue Ngawati Osborne, child advocate (Maori) who is hosted by Tu Wahine Trust in Waitakere City.
“Hitting children is not part of traditional Maori child-raising practice – this would be like striking a tupuna (ancestor/grandparent) in the old days.” says Sue Ngawati Osborne. “Maori children are seen as carriers of whakapapa and mana which must be protected and honoured.
“Observations from prominent European settlers of the 1800s confirm that Maori treated their children with great respect, love and devotion – and not only to their immediate offspring. In fact the settlers were surprised to see just how indulgent Maori men were to their children and of never seeing a child being struck are a couple of examples that reveal a history of non-violence towards children uncommon to the Europeans who observed it.
“The law on child discipline was imposed on Maori by the early settlers and has had disastrous effects. Now, more than 160 years later, child maltreatment and abuse is a huge issue for Maori to overcome.
“What is helpful is that Maori have the knowledge, traditions and expertise within their own communities to counter this law, apply cultural healing and eliminate violence against tamariki.”
There are Maori service providers in the community such as Tu Wahine Trust who are there to help rangatahi (young people) and whanau with parenting programmes and violence prevention programmes to keep our tamariki safe, she said.
Tu Wahine Trust supports the approach of Te Kahui Mana Ririki who state: “Smacking is simply another expression of violence against Maori children. If we can break the habit that our whanau have of hitting children, then more serious forms of abuse and maltreatment will also reduce.”
By voting YES to the referendum question, we can all play a part in restoring the status of our tamariki as taonga (treasures) who live free from violence and abuse.” says Ms Osborne.
June 22, 2009
Press Release: Green Party 21 June 2009
Today New Zealand celebrates two years of positive change for children since the law changed to give children the same legal protection from assault as adults.
New Zealanders should be proud of the progress made in positive child rearing practices with a clear message getting through that the use of force for correction is never justified, said Green Party MPs Sue Bradford and Metiria Turei.
The pair are heartened to celebrate two years of a safer world for our children and young people.
The 2007 amendment removed a legal defence that saw parents who had beaten their children claim a defence of ‘reasonable force’ and escape criminal convictions.
Ms Bradford said the law change is her most significant achievement as an MP, but she cannot take all the credit.
“I’m conscious that it’s a major social reform only brought about through the dedicated work of many individuals, community and church organisations – and MPs.
“But none of us can rest on our laurels.
“It is important now to continue to progress from this positive move and to ensure that the law continues to afford children the greatest possible protection.”
All the evidence so far – including three police reviews – shows the new law is working well. An array of Non-Governmental Organisations – such as Plunket, Barnados, Save the Children, Unicef, Jigsaw, Women’s Refuge and Parents Centre – have joined forces to promote the YesVote campaign, said Green Party Co-Leader Metiria Turei.
“Our MPs will vote ‘Yes’ in the coming referendum despite the confused and ambiguous question. We recognise that the referendum is a misguided attempt to return our law to the 19th century. On this two year anniversary, we celebrate how far our country has moved to create a safer world for children and young people.”
The young people of New Zealand will look back on the law change as a pivotal seachange in our country’s culture, Mrs Turei said.
“I’m proud of the work our party has done, and the achievements we’ve made with that law change. I’m proud of the work of Sue Bradford, in leading that change for the Green Party and for the community. Our kids will, in time, recognise the importance of this law change too.”
June 21, 2009
Media Statement: The Yes Vote Coalition 21 June 2009
Debate ahead of the August referendum on the child discipline law risks being the same polarising, wasted opportunity as it was in 2007, says the Yes Vote coalition.
“The Yes Vote welcomes the fact that all political parties, except Act, have pledged their support for the child discipline law, which came into effect two years ago today.
“While the last week has been an important demonstration that our political leaders understand the importance of retaining the law as it is, the debate has reignited some of the angry and abusive tone that characterised debate in 2007…
“The reality is that when it comes to stopping New Zealand’s appallingly high rates of child deaths and abuse by international standards, we are all on the same side,” said Yes Vote spokesperson Deborah Morris-Travers.
“Yet some of the mud slung at supporters of the current legislation obscures this important fact of national unity.
“We have never promoted the view that simply passing a law would either instantly change attitudes or national child abuse statistics. To expect that would be naïve. However, opponents of the law continually cite individual abuse cases as “evidence” the law isn’t working,” said Ms Morris-Travers.
“There is a slow shift occurring in New Zealand, which has already occurred in many countries, away from physical discipline as an acceptable element of parenting. The child discipline law has an important contribution, over time, to reducing the attitudes and behaviours that put children at risk of abuse.
“I suspect that in 10, 20, 30 years time, we will look back with the same surprise as we now look back on racial segregation, opposition to the women’s’ movement, or native forest clear-felling and we’ll wonder what this debate was all about.
“Change takes time and leadership. The Yes Vote welcomes the political leadership shown over the past week.
“We have noted the many public statements from journalists and MPs expressing disapproval of the referendum question and of the cost, however, we see this as an opportunity to better inform people about the child discipline law, how it is working two years on, and the importance of ensuring a focus on the interests of children.”
Ms Morris-Travers concluded by saying, “We look forward to constructive participation in a national debate as the referendum unfolds and we remind people there are some good reasons to vote in the referendum, to support a Yes Vote:
- To demonstrate that people are not fooled by the referendum’s tricky question.
- To continue to demonstrate to politicians that there is support for the law.
- To address attempts to undermining public confidence in the law.
- To achieve some quiet time for the law to bed down peacefully and have a positive effect on the way children are disciplined in New Zealand.
- To observe over time, and in an unbiased way, how it is working in practice.”
- Contact: Deborah Morris-Travers. Tel 0274 544 299
June 19, 2009
MEDIA RELEASE
Jigsaw Family Services: 18 June 2009
Jigsaw Family Services is urging New Zealanders to put themselves in children’s shoes over the so-called smacking referendum.
“What would our children do if they were allowed to vote? Would they ask to be smacked because they thought it was good for them?” says Liz Kinley, Jigsaw’s CEO (Strategic Operations).
Jigsaw’s network of 34 community agencies employs about 500 staff to stop child abuse and family violence.
“Because children don’t have a voice in the debate it’s up to child-centred agencies to speak out on their behalf. Children are telling us they’re confused when people they love and trust hit them.
“It makes them resentful rather than relaxed and confident. And it teaches them that hitting is an acceptable way of expressing anger or disapproval.”
The controversy around the ambiguous wording of the referendum question should not deter voters from affirming the existing legislation by voting “yes”.
Liz Kinley says a “yes” vote is a vote for our children. It reinforces their right to have the same legal protection as adults.
“We don’t want parents to end up in court for a light smack and because the law gives police discretion over prosecutions that isn’t happening.
“Parents want to do the best job they can. They may have been whacked as children. They know it doesn’t work and want to treat their own children differently.”
Jigsaw’s agencies are committed to helping families find better ways to nurture and discipline children.
“The demand for our parenting programmes shows New Zealand is moving to a place where hitting children isn’t tolerated. Two decades ago we made the transition in our schools. So why not in our own homes?” says Liz Kinley.
- Contact: Liz Kinley, Jigsaw CEO (Strategic Operations), 04 385 7983 / 027 2303312 or Shona Geary, Media Adviser, 027 573 1125
June 10, 2009
Media Statement – 10 June 2009
The Yes Vote coalition welcomes Social Welfare Minister Paula Bennett’s statement in the NZ Herald today in support of the child discipline law as it stands.
Ms Bennett’s statement contradicts claims by opponents of the law that she does not support it.
In an interview with the NZ Herald on those claims, Ms Bennett said, “”The Government’s position on this legislation is clear – that should good parents be convicted for a light smack, we would look at changing the law, but so far we have seen no evidence that the law is not working.”
Deborah Morris-Travers of the Yes Vote coalition welcomed that statement, which is consistent with statements by the Prime Minister, John Key.
“As is so often the case, the claims by opponents about the legislation are shown either to be false or grossly distorted.”
Labour leader Phil Goff has also been recently misrepresented on the issue by opponents of the child discipline law reforms of 2007.
In a written response to a Yes Vote coalition supporter on May 25, following those claims, Mr Goff said: “Labour is opposed to reversing the repeal of section 59 of the Crimes Act. We believe that the law is working as intended and has not resulted in criminal sanctions against good parents who do not harm their children.”
“It appears that the political consensus that secured the passage of the law in 2007 remains and this is good for children, families and New Zealand,” concluded Ms Morris-Travers.
