Complaints to police under the child discipline law continue to rise.
The police review of the controversial "anti-smacking" law for the six months to June 21 this year showed 456 complaints were made, the highest since the law was passed in 2007.
Eighteen of these were for smacking, and one of these resulted in the seventh prosecution for smacking since the amendment to Section 59 of the Crimes Act promoted by former Green MP Sue Bradford was passed.
Complaints have continued to rise, with new records set in each six-month period since December 2009.
Assistant Commissioner Malcolm Burgess said he believed the increase was due to a greater percentage of people reporting child assaults rather than greater levels of child violence in the home, though the review itself said this was not clear.
The seventh smacking prosecution was laid after a child was smacked at least five times on the buttocks with an open hand by an offender who had a history of assaults.
A neighbour witnessed the event and called police.
The defendant was ordered to come up for sentence if called upon by the court within a year - something that usually only happens if they reoffend in some way.
Nine prosecutions were begun for what police called "minor acts of child discipline", mostly slapping.
One father who slapped his son three times when his son didn't want to go to school admitted an assault charge and received nine months supervision.
Two people were ordered to come up for sentence if called upon, two were discharged without conviction, one grandmother successfully defended the charge, and two more were withdrawn due to insufficient evidence.
One more admitted a charge and is awaiting sentence.
The police file says none of the defendants prosecuted for smacking or minor physical discipline said the force used was reasonable.
Mr Burgess said police continued to use their discretion when dealing with complaints.
NZN