Commission anti-smacking: head

Families Commission head Jan Pryor is highlighting her organisation's support of anti-smacking legislation after the Government appointed high-profile opponent Christine Rankin to the Crown agency.

Ms Rankin was outspoken in her opposition to Green Party MP Sue Bradford's member's bill to remove the defence of reasonable force in child assault cases. The legislation was passed by Parliament in May 2007 with support which included both National and Labour.

Ms Bradford, among others, was unhappy today with Ms Rankin's appointment as one of seven Families Commissioners.

Ms Rankin was spokeswoman of For The Sake Of Our Children Trust.

During the debate around the legislation she caused offence by calling former Prime Minister Helen Clark childless.

Ms Pryor, who is chief commissioner, said she welcomed the addition of Ms Rankin and Bruce Pilbrow, chief executive of the advice service Parents Inc, who was also appointed.

Ms Pryor said she and other commissioners looked forward to hearing Ms Rankin's views on reducing family violence.

"The commission's reasons for supporting the law have not changed," she said in a statement.

"We based our position on research which shows very clearly that positive parenting strategies (such as rewarding good behaviour and distracting young children and ignoring minor unwanted behaviour) are far more effective and safer than physical punishment."

Research also showed that most child abuse cases began as physical punishment.

"There are risks that smacking can escalate to abuse - and the harder a child is hit, the more damaging it is for their future wellbeing. Hitting children also models violence as a way of resolving conflict."

She said the law's message encouraged parents to look at alternatives to smacking and a survey had shown attitudes were changing.

"Healthy, positive relationships within families do not involve people hitting each other and the commission continues to believe that repeal was one step that, combined with other nationwide efforts to address violence, will help us become a violence-free society," Ms Pryor said.

Ms Rankin said she stood by her criticism of the anti-smacking bill. She said parents were unnecessarily investigated and it created fear in the community.

"To me it was silly legislation in the first place; we've got a major child abuse problem. We don't need a smokescreen that takes us down the wrong road."

- NZPA