Simeon Brown of Youth Against Child Abuse NZ (YACA) interviews ACT Party leader Rodney Hide.

Media Release
25 July 2009

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.

ENDS

Media Release
22 July 2009

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.

ENDS

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.

Media Release
20 July 2009

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.

ENDS

Media Release
18 July 2009

Youth Against Child Abuse NZ is fed up by the campaign of misinformation coming from the Yes Vote lobby group.

The Yes Vote lobby claim that a ‘yes’ vote “is a vote to protect children from assault”. While we must keep young people safe from child abuse, the referendum question, “Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand” has absolutely nothing to do with assault.

“The youth of New Zealand have had enough of empty slogans like this one,” says spokesperson Matthew Van Voorthuizen. “If the youth of NZ were able to vote, they would give the Yes Vote lobby a vote of no confidence as they offer no genuine, workable ideas to tackle child abuse.”

“The referendum is dealing with the question of smacking in the context of good parental correction, not assault which is clearly child abuse,” he says. “Equating a parent who loves their child enough to give them a smack to correct them, with the deplorable act of child abuse, is equating apples with oranges. It’s just not OK.

“We are calling on the Yes Vote Lobby to truly stand up for young people by offering real solutions to tackle our awful problem of child abuse in New Zealand.

YACA is extremely disturbed that the Yes Vote Lobby is supporting the new law even though it may actually lead to increased levels of child abuse. Firstly by continually seperating families by legislating against parental authority will only lead to family break down which can directly result in child abuse. Secondly by criminalising smacking and time-out will not protect children from violence. Instead it will create stressed and harrassed parents who may occassionly give in to oubursts of anger against their children causing physical and psychological abuse.

“It’s a horrible downwards spiral.”

YACA continues to call for a Royal Commission to be set up so that all New Zealanders, young and old can have their say in how we should go about tackling this major problem.

“At the referendum, lets vote ‘NO’ to criminalising good parents - and lets say NO to child abuse with a Royal Commission.”

ENDS

Media Release
14 July 2009

Youth against Child Abuse New Zealand wishes to address the confusion surrounding the disciplinary action of smacking, and anger-driven child abuse. Too often these two actions are considered to be the same, a mistake that is often made by some of the advocates of the new anti-parental correction law.

Yes Vote; the group that was created to represent the minority who will vote ‘yes’ in the upcoming anti-smacking referendum, are adamant that a light smack for the purpose of child correction is the same as child abuse. They claim, “A ‘yes’ vote is a vote to protect children from assault.”

YACA believes that there is a great difference between child discipline that is carried out in a loving, controlled way in order to train a child, and child abuse which is the uncontrolled and unacceptable behaviour of angry parents.”

A smack, given out of love for a child is completely different to beating a child out of anger, and all good parents know the difference,” Says YACA Canterbury Regional spokesperson, Charles Smith.

YACA is also alarmed that the Yes Vote group are equating ‘physical discipline’ with ‘family violence’, something that the Government has been seeking to address in their ‘Family Violence, it’s not okay’ campaign.

The Youth of New Zealand know this country has a terrible record on child abuse, but equating physical discipline with child abuse is just not okay as it undermines all the good parents who are trying to raise good citizens.

“The horrific rate of child abuse in New Zealand has nothing to do with good parental discipline, because the motive for both actions are completely opposite to each other,” Says Mr. Smith. “Child abuse happens when parents lash out at their children in anger, while a smack given for the purpose of correction is given out of love, for the training of the child.”

The polls have consistently shown since 2005 that more than 80% of the population see that there is a substantial difference between child abuse and child discipline.

YACA is looking forward to the New Zealand public showing their agreement with this by voting NO in the upcoming referendum.

ENDS

Media Release
10 July 2009

Youth Against Child Abuse NZ is surprised to hear claims that voting yes will help lower New Zealand’s horrific child abuse rate, particularly from youth action group Students against Violence (SAVE).

“Sue Bradford herself said that her bill was not designed to address the problem of child abuse,” says YACA spokesperson Caleb Brown. “In fact quite the opposite is a likely scenario”.

“CYFS is permitted to use force whether it is reasonable or not, to remove children from homes where the parents sometimes use smacking – it’s just ridiculous,” he says.

The SAVE group which advocates for a yes vote in the upcoming referendum on the “anti-smacking” law has got it wrong. While YACA applauds their courage in standing up against child abuse, we must not criminalise all good parents in the process.

“I admire their effort,” says Caleb Brown, “But their constant criticism of the people who plan to vote No without offering any real ideas in tackling child abuse is hypocritical of what they stand for”.

YACA calls for a royal commission to be set up to look into the real causes of child abuse. “The whole country must have a chance to tackle this issue together,” says Caleb Brown.

YACA also calls for John Key to listen to the people of New Zealand and support John Boscawen’s compromise bill which is very similar to National Party MP Chester Borrow’s previously defeated “hand-smacking-only” bill.

“This would ensure that parents were no longer classed as criminals for simply giving their child a light smack.”

Both actions must be urgently adopted by the government to bring the country together in fighting child abuse and its causes.

ENDS