Bradford says anti-smacking law working well

Green Party MP Sue Bradford says she is confident her anti-smacking legislation is working well, four months after its implementation.

A lobby group opposing the law yesterday said a school reported a Wellington mother to Child, Youth and Family Services (CYF) for smacking her child on the hand.

And on another occasion, the same mother was visited by police after a neighbour reported a smacking in the family's yard. She was not charged.

The lobby group, Family First, would not reveal the identity of the family.

But Ms Bradford today said the incidents showed the law was working well.

"I think it's really great that the school had the courage to report the woman and that it sounds from what little we know that the processes are being followed exactly as police and CYF told us they would be when we put this through Parliament," she said on TVNZ's Breakfast show.

"That is that they don't get really heavy at first - if it is something mild they are not going to prosecute, but if it happens again they look behind the scenes to see what is really happening with that family.

Ms Bradford said often that public smacking could be a sign of bigger problems occurring behind closed doors.

"While on the surface it might appear like a simple smack or a simple hit - what we don't know is what else is happening in that family either with that child, or other children, or the mother or some other family member.

Family First national director Bob McCoskrie yesterday said the family's experience was a warning to other parents.

CYF had been contacted after her child had shown aggressive behaviour towards another student and when questioned told a teacher he was cross as he been smacked by his mother earlier in the day.

The mother was questioned and assured the matter would not be taken further.

In a second incident two months later, three police officers arrived at her family's home, acting on a complaint from a neighbour.

The mother had smacked her child on the backside with the palm of her hand during an incident around the trampoline in the backyard.

She said the police had been kind, but had warned her of possible charges if it happened again.

NZPA