Fewer parents smacking

"Anti-smacking" legislation is making parents reluctant to strike their children, the first results of a major study into child discipline show.

The research, carried out between December 2006 and July this year, also found that 70 per cent of parents who are against the legislation do not understand it, prompting calls for a public education campaign.

"I used to smack them on the hand but it scared the crap out of me when that bill came in," one parent told researchers during in-depth interviews of 117 parents.

First results of the Otago University Children's Issues Centre project on child discipline, released exclusively to The Press, show smacking rates eighth out of 11 methods, below time-out, distraction, and hugs and smiles, as an effective form of discipline.

"Very few parents indeed were satisfied that physical punishment was an effective way of controlling children and were able to explain why they felt bad about using it," a forthcoming article on the study, by Anne Smith and Julie Lawrence, says.

While 41% of parents said they smacked, only 9% thought it effective, and 34% said it was ineffective; the rest picking other methods.

"This study indicates that families in New Zealand may be moving towards more positive disciplinary methods, in contrast with previous research (in 1995 and 2002)," the article says.

"There are some indications that the message that physical punishment is not a good idea is getting out to parents. The necessity for a mind-set change, which many advocates of change have been urging, is perhaps beginning to happen."

Kiwi Party co-leader Larry Baldock, who organised a petition against the law change, said parental views on smacking may have changed because of the fear of being prosecuted.

In June 2007, section 59 of the Crimes Act was rewritten to remove the defence of parental correction for hitting a child.

Lawrence and Smith found that of parents who supported the law change, 58% understood it. Of those against, 30% understood.

"The lack of an education campaign to explain the law is strongly reflected in these statistics," the article says.

Overall, 60% of parents were unclear about the implications of the law change.

There was "a massive need for more information and education" about the law change.

"There seems to have been timidity and avoidance of objective information about (the Act), perhaps because government bodies are nervous of the reaction from extremely well-funded and powerful religious Right groups to any public information," the article says.

Green Party MP Sue Bradford, who introduced the law change, said understanding of the law was poor.

"I regret deeply that there wasn't enough Government buy-in to put in the public information and education to go alongside it," she said.

"Some parents are, gradually, saying actually it is better to bring up my kids without hitting them."

Canterbury University Associate Professor of Law John Caldwell said almost no-one understood the new law.

"I don't think any general members of the public would have any idea at all what the present Section 59 says. I'm quite sure they don't," he said.

There were still four potential defences to hitting a child, which "a half-decent lawyer" would use effectively.

Baldock said it was "crap" that people did not understand the law. "The people who don't understand the law are the people who are in favour of it," he said.

 

 

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