New Zealand has an appalling rate of child abuse. It is time that real ideas were put forward to tackle this very real problem. The Youth of NZ are sick and tired of the governments inaction with dealing with this problem. Youth Against Child Abuse NZ presents a 3 point action plan against child abuse. We believe the government must urgently adopt all 3 points in order to tackle the urgent problem of child abuse that this country faces.
1. Set up a Royal commission
It is essential that we set up a commission to carry out a full investigation into the causes of child abuse in New Zealand. This will not only get to the heart of the problem but will bring the country together in fighting the common enemy. This will allow New Zealanders from all walks of life, young and old to voice their views on what the causes of child abuse are and what can be done to combat it. Once New Zealand knows what the main causes of child abuse are, as a nation we will be able to do more to prevent it from occurring through implementing policy ideas which come from the royal commission.
2. Tougher laws for child abusers
We need to get tougher on those who abuse our children. If the criminals who abuse children pay a heavier penalty for their crime they will be much less likely to offend again. New, tougher penalties for child abuse must come by way of the criminal justice system. Sentencing policy must be changed so that there is a major deterrent to child abuse.
3. Amend the Anti Smacking law
Section 59 of the Crimes Act needs amending so that parents are not prosecuted or made criminalised for smacking their children for the purpose of correction. Currently, these parents are criminals under the new law. The government must not be sending mixed messages as to the nature of real child abuse. We must not be diverting police, social workers and citizen’s attention away from real child abuse to good parents who smack for the purpose of correction.
Childrens Commissioner John Angus was mentioned in todays NZ Herald saying that youth must be heard on the issue of child abuse and Smacking.
“Youth Against Child Abuse has taken up that call and is pleased to release its proposed action plan against child abuse,” says spokesperson Simeon Brown. “This action plan is what youth want to happen regarding child abuse and the anti-smacking law.”
Youth Against Child Abuse NZ (YACA) is pleased to announce the third in their series of videos addressing issues surrounding child abuse in New Zealand as we seek to gather ideas to tackle child abuse.
“Simeon Brown interviews former Labour MP John Tamihere in this video,” said Matthew Van Voorthuizen, spokesperson for YACA. “John is also the co-host of a highly popular Radio Live talkback show with Willie Jackson”.
“John expresses the concern that so many parents have: they don’t want the Government legislating against good parenting,” continued Mr Van Voorthuizen. “John acknowledges that smacking isn’t the only tool that parents have, and we agree with him that some parents do take smacking too far. This is absolutely unacceptable”.
The video can be viewed on the group’s website, www.yaca.org.nz.
The board of YACA NZ trusts that this video series will help raise awareness to the real issues of child abuse in New Zealand and also present proven, workable solutions to actually solving the problem.
Youth Against Child Abuse (YACA) is surprised that the Nelson Mail would publish an opinion piece from Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) given that it shows such an evident lack of research or factual accuracy.
“The well-intentioned Johny O’Donnel who is the founder of SAVE states in the article that the referendum question ‘is not going to reflect real public opinions’. The members of youth-based child-abuse action group YACA believe that the current law itself does not reflect ‘real public opinions’, and as such should be turfed out as the polls are so clearly indicating,” says YACA spokesperson Rachel Thompson.
“Johny is correct when he acknowledges that the law has ’seen a huge backlash from the public’. However further down in the article Johny writes, ‘No parents have got away which child abuse… since the law came in’. To this YACA simply responds that this was virtually the same scenario under the old law,” she says. “Only 7 or 8 cases viewed as possible child abuse cases were ever excused by a jury during the life of the original Section 59 of the Crimes Act. It therefore comes as no surprise that to date no parents have got away with child abuse since the inception of the new law.”
While it is true that ‘there is not one parent behind bars for smacking’, SAVE is ignoring the question that 83% of Kiwis are crying out to be heard, “why are parents being criminalised for giving a corrective smack?”
“YACA continues to represent the majority of Kiwi youth who believe that a yes vote will not help lower child abuse in New Zealand,” she says. “Voting NO will send a clear message that we want Parliament to address the real causes of child abuse.”
Youth Against Child Abuse New Zealand rejects claims from anti-discipline advocates that the amended Section 59 of the Crimes Act is working. Green Party MP Sue Kedgley says “[the] bill aims to strike a blow at the culture of violence in our society, and at the abuse of children which is what Section 59 is about.”
YACA believes that Kedgely has not only confused our society’s culture of violence with the correction of children, but has also assumed that in taking away parental discipline rights, New Zealand’s “culture of violence” will begin to change.
“What Kedgley and many other advocates of the Section 59 amendment are saying is nonsense,” says YACA spokesperson Matthew Van Voorthuizen. “If the Government really wanted to tackle child abuse they would target the perpetrators of the crime: parents and caregivers who beat up their children in uncontrolled anger. These people are the criminals, and they should get the prison sentence, not good parents who love their children.”
“The first measure that must be taken to reduce child abuse in New Zealand is to get tougher on the criminals who commit horrific crimes against their children and our society while at the same time addressing the causes which lead to child abuse,” he says.
Many anti-discipline advocates also believe that because very few parents are being prosecuted, the amended Section 59 law is working well.
“This is a sadly misguided claim.”
“The real test for whether the anti-discipline law is working is if we are seeing the rate of child abuse dropping. We are simply not seeing a decrease in child abuse, and the reason for this is that the law is targeting the wrong people.”
ENDS
Contact: Matthew Van Voorthuizen
Cell Phone: 021 216 0885
Email: matthewmjvv@gmail.com
Youth Against Child Abuse NZ is pleased to announce the second in their series of videos addressing issues surrounding child abuse in New Zealand as we seek to gather ideas to tackle child abuse.
“Rodney Hide of the ACT party features in our second interview and emphatically says NO to both Child abuse and the anti-smacking law” said Simeon Brown of Youth Against Child Abuse.
“Rodney Hide also reaffirms the message that YACA has been pushing over the past few weeks that criminlising smacking is not going to stop child abuse,” continued Mr Brown. “He calls on all New Zealanders to vote No in the referendum while offering some solutions to our terrible rate of child abuse”.
The video can be viewed on the group’s website, www.yaca.org.nz.
The board of YACA NZ trusts that this video series will help raise awareness to the real issues of child abuse in New Zealand and also present proven, workable solutions to actually solving the problem.
Youth Against Child Abuse NZ is calling on all New Zealanders to Vote ‘NO’ in the upcoming referendum on the Anti Smacking law.
This is the only way we can send a clear message to the government that the government must urgently address the real causes of child abuse without criminalizing good parents in the meantime.
“The youth of New Zealand are frustrated that the politicians are refusing to look into the real causes of child abuse. Its time the government took real action rather than merely trying to look as if they were doing something through criminalisng all good parents who choose to use a smack as a form of correction,” says YACA spokesperson Emily Peach.
New Zealanders were told by our politicians that the “anti-smacking” law would help to stop child abuse. Therefore by voting yes we would be accepting that the new law is working when it is so obviously not. In fact there is reason to believe that the new law has done more harm than good in respect to our terrible child abuse rate.
“Inaction on child abuse is just not good enough,” she says. “New Zealand’s Youth have been crying out for action against child abuse for a long time. A ‘yes’ vote says that you agree with governments continuing inaction on child abuse.”
“This is not what youth want!”
YACA calls on all new Zealanders to stand up against child abuse and vote ‘No’ in the upcoming referendum on smacking. A strong ‘No’ vote is an excellent opportunity to tell the government that it is time to properly address the real causes of child abuse in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Canterbury Regional Coordinator for Youth Against Child Abuse NZ (YACA) Matthew Van Voorthuizen interviews Marc Alexander, trusteee on the board for Victims Unite and National candidate for Wigram in the 2008 election.
Youth Against Child Abuse NZ is pleased to anounce today the launch of a new video series addressing issues surrounding child abuse in New Zealand.
Our first video being released later today will be an interview with National Candidate for Wigram in 2008, Marc Alexander. Marc was a Member of Parliament with United Future in the 2002 - 2005 Labour Government, and is also a trustee on the board of Victims Unite, an organisation that speaks up for the rights and well-being of victims of crime and abuse in New Zealand.
Videos will be viewable on the group’s website, www.yaca.org.nz.
The board of YACA NZ trusts that this video series will help raise awareness to the real issues of child abuse in New Zealand and also present proven, workable solutions to actually solving the problem.
