Smacking bans and child abuse

For broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 11 Aug 2013.

A family group in New Zealand is warning Australian parents to reject any proposed ban on smacking, saying it will do more harm than good, will have no effect on child abuse rates, and will criminalise good parents raising great kids.

National Director of Family First New Zealand, Bob McCoskrie, said “The rates of child abuse deaths in New Zealand have stayed at the same rate as they were before the anti-smacking law was passed.”

A recent New Zealand survey found that only 12 per cent of respondents believed the new law has had any effect on the rate of child abuse.  The survey also found that three out of four people back a law change to allow “correctional” smacking of children.

Mr McCoskrie said “Children will never be safe until we are honest enough as a country to identify and tackle the real causes of child abuse, rather than pass ‘feel-good’ but ineffectual laws.”

I’m Rod Benson for the NSW Council of Churches.