The effect of the anti-smacking bill

Email
Print

The effect of the anti-smacking bill

3News NZ

Hannah and Brian Johnson can't care for their grandchild

Hannah and Brian Johnson can't care for their grandchild

When the law was changed to remove the right of parents to use physical force to discipline their children, there were predictions the world would go mad.

Wholesale prosecutions, the criminalisation of decent parents, children off the rails.

The reality? Five prosecutions in five years.

The latest figures show 18 complaints to the police, 12 warnings issued, five cases in which no further action was taken, and one prosecution.

Facts like that have taken the heat out of the issue.

But tonight we meet a Tauranga couple, who've been denied the right to care for a grandchild because they smack them, very occasionally.

Fair enough or overkill?

Watch the report from Lachlan Forsyth.

Post a Comment

Before commenting, please take the time to read our moderation guide


(Won't be published)



Comments

4/03/2013 2:39:03 a.m.

Jessica Whiting wrote:

Cyfs are a joke i have three children girl 8yrs and two boys 1 and 2. My 8 year old daughter had been caught stealing on a number of occassions so i decided to take her to tauranga police station where a constable talked with her and then myself he advised me to give her a smack. However i didnt remember at the time regarding antismacking law. I gave my daughter a smack and was then reported to the mongrols cyfs. i have had my daughter removed who is staying with a friend i have care for my boys still i have been treated like utter shit social workers have called me a abusive mother and brought up things from my past i have been made to feel depressed have no contact with my daughter either. My girl was doing very well at school and is now socially becoming more and more withdrawn she has become the subject of bullying by students and when i rang school to find out ive been told that they cant tell me anything ive had all my rights removed i now have severe anxiety issues emotional all the time and my poor daughter is also having severe issues we were a happy household i considered myself to be a good parent however now im constintly judging even myself. this is another case gone wrong cyfs and the government need to wake up and realise they are destroying good parents and traumatising our children this needs to stop and NOW

24/06/2012 6:13:33 a.m.

jordyn wrote:

To the deluded people who support anti-smacking, cyf are a clear example of abuse their main 1 being mental abuse with these kids. They lie, contradict, manipulate etc. Yet this is the system that the government allow our children in. This is abuse that is far more traumatic to a kid than the quick smack to discipline. To the people that say read parenting books i read one and it mentioned bribery to use as a technique. Nothing positive bout that. End of day crime rate is flying high, suicide numbers are rising, under-aged drinking and young kids having kids and guess what they all have/had ben up-lifted from cyf at some point in their lives and all this is getting worse Since the anti-smacking

23/06/2012 6:46:09 p.m.

Carol Anderson wrote:

I whole heartedly support these grandparents. Every child needs discipline and a light smack on occasion never hurt any of them. They need clear boundaries and guidelines. What they dont need is violent discipline. These are the ones who should be prosecuted and brought to justice. It is so wrong to deny these grandparents the opportunity to guide yet another of their mokos through life in a good way. Very little good comes of placing children in foster care as many cases of child abuse (physical and sexual) has happened in these situations

22/06/2012 8:50:02 p.m.

Pam wrote:

Smacking teaches children discipline, violence teaches children violence. There are cartoon shows on TV that teach children violence,eg Tom and Jerry, Roadrunner, Sponge Bob etc.Can someone please enlighten me on how smacking makes you lazy and uneducated?.

22/06/2012 7:28:45 p.m.

Cyril wrote:

like the majority of people have typed. there is NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ODD SMACK To Ethan and Rick get A grasp on reality if any one should be locked away in prison it should be you 2 for being responsible for the disrespect A lot of young people have for their parents,public,each other and society in general

22/06/2012 12:33:51 p.m.

Sonia wrote:

Yous have the wrong idea between a smack & a beating..If a child gets a smack for doing wrong they sure do learn from it..But a good hard beating,then yes thats definately a NO NO now thats abuse even i dont agree with that..but come on a lil tap smack sure does some good.. The Government need to evaluate CYFS for the amount of deaths there has been amongst CYFS children first before accusing people of abusing there children when that is nothing compared to what's been happing to our CYFS Children..If anything CYFS should be shut down all together..

22/06/2012 9:55:04 a.m.

Sheree wrote:

The problem with smacking is it teaches children violence is ok. It teaches fear not respect. I was smacked as a child and have to restrain myself from smacking as it became instinct. I don't want that for my children. It will always be a dilemma of perspective as to weather smacking is carried out in a calm controlled manner or an act of frustration expressed as violence- just don't do it, don't put yourself in that position.

22/06/2012 8:59:46 a.m.

jonathan wrote:

A few comments here have asked why parents dont learn other ways of diciplining their children,a better question would be why not use the most effective means of dicipline? As a child I benefitted greatly from the phisical punishment that I recieved from loving parents whose concern was to bring me up to be a decent person. Pain is actually natures way of saying dont do that again which is why a smack works so well. Do parents actually have an authority over their children that allows them to dicipline them or should parents who lock their kids in thier room be charged with kidnapping,parents who confiscate toys as punishment be charged with theft etc.

22/06/2012 1:41:34 a.m.

Rangi wrote:

OMG! Come on you anti smacking people this make me sick!!! I grew up with 5 other siblings and we all had a smack now & then. Nothing too bad to class as child abuse. For example hand on the bum or hand. Never around the head or no any other weapons was used like a jug cord or vacuum cleaner pipe that would be described in a child abuse case. Like the man said in this, it was wasn't every day or week etc. We got a smack because I/him or her was in the wrong and could hurt somebody else or ourselves. Because of our parents excellent discipline my siblings & I have become law abiding citizens and never got in trouble with the law. I now have 5yr old son, I have done the same thing with the discipline values and he knows what right from wrong. So get off your high horses and come back down earth. I fully support this couple, the only want the best for their moko (grandchild)

21/06/2012 9:30:14 p.m.

Judy Alexander wrote:

Yes, smacking is a quick effective tool in the discipline of children, and it teachs them quickley when they are in danger. Child abuse on the other hand is awful, these two things are not the same. A smack when the parent is calm and rational without anger teachs the child quickley about choices and consequences, the child is not boss, you the career are. Respect is a two way thing and when I have seen young children today speak and treat their parents the way they do I am appalled. Children of the current generation run riot in society at present and have no or little boundrys, they have to be wrapped up in cotton wool as theyhave no concept of safety and whats right or wrong because parents allow them rule of the roost. They are children, babies they don't have developed logical brains and taking 30min talking to a raging child in full tantrum about the safety benifits of a child restrain does nobody any good. Smack, while they take a breath plug the belt up and we are off on our journey and in a minute happy child in car set. I know what I prefer