Christchurch Women's Refuge blog - Anti Smacking? How about Anti Child Abuse?

If I could have one wish it would be that all the emotional and physical effort that has been expended on the ‘anti-smacking’ law – which for the ‘no’ voters is more about parental rights than concern for child welfare – could in some way be channelled towards our children’s care and protection. New Zealand’s statistics are atrocious regarding child abuse. Why are we making so much noise about a law that has not criminalised good parents, instead of campaigning against bad, abusive, and neglectful parenting? Let’s get up in arms about something that really does matter.

Not only are early intervention strategies necessary for the sake of the child vulnerable to abuse, but for the sake of that child’s future children. We must take preventative measures against the cycle of violence that feeds like a hungry monster on our children’s innocence and human rights. So, although the referendum won with a resounding majority vote we need to remember that the child protection law was put in place to ensure our children's human rights were consistant with world standards. What we should be concentrating on now is how to lower our abysmal child abuse statistics.

Christchurch Women’s Refuge runs Support and Education Programmes to provide assistance to women and children who have experienced family violence. We do this not only so that they can make informed choices to live free from violence, but also because we are committed to preventing family violence through social change. In order to accomplish this the cycle of violence must be broken.

Our child abuse statistics run high. In The Press Monday 24, it was reported that Starship Hospital treats 10 babies a year for shaken baby syndrome alone. On average ten children actually lose their lives every year in New Zealand through being killed by a family member. Let’s make a big noise about that and support Christchurch Women’s Refuge in its commitment to stop domestic violence in this country.