New Zealand's shameful child abuse rates have hit a "plateau" and will nosedive by 2014, our new Children's Commissioner says.
On what does he base that prediction?
...a combination of new campaigns and programmes, better collaboration and an increased awareness of child abuse would see the number of cases drop sharply by three years' time, if not sooner...
Why does he think that NZ has a worse record than other developed countries?
...a high rate of children in poverty, low investment in services to support parents and services that had been allowed "to drift into things that don't work"
There it is again. The Poverty Excuse.
While I can accept that material poverty can lead to poorer child health through over-crowded inadequate housing it is no excuse for child abuse. As I have shown before any correlation between the poorest children and abuse or neglect is inconsistent across ethnicities.
As for supporting parents, good luck. Generally only parents who are amenable to support are positively affected by it. Parents with criminal involvement and addictions will be indifferent to services so long as benefit money keeps arriving in their bank accounts each week and the war on drugs continues.
While I admire optimism my own prediction would be far less so. And I don't suppose he is going to be paid on performance anyway.
Update: Bob McCoskrie just sent through this:
Mon, 11 Jul 2011 5:47a.m.
RadioLive has obtained shocking new statistics on child abuse.
Figures released to RadioLive under the Official Information Act reveal Maori children are being abused at a higher rate now than ever before.
Maori make up more than half of the 21,000 children harmed in the last year, and the number abused over the last five years has also more than doubled to 11,000 in 2010.
More than half of the 4000 children removed from families and put into foster care were also Maori.
Social Development Minister, Paula Bennett, says programmes being rolled out like Whanau Ora will help.
The figures also show 64 children have died while in the care of Child, Youth and Family over the last 10 years. A third were recorded as suicide.
2 comments:
Yes, well done Mr McCoskrie.
I see the PC Herald used a picture of a pakeha baby!
More services and collaboration won't do it. Thats probably part of the problem. I recall a school principal complaining he had to consult a dozen different agencies before he could expel a youth.... colour blind Simplification, identify the problem and sort it. Police if its criminal,Social Development agency if its Social seems the answer to me.
Post a Comment