Iron fist child discipline way decried

Huntly man Raymond Kumar was raised with what he calls "an iron fist" and believes too many people continue to discipline their children in the same way.

"It's a historic way of life that needs to be addressed," said Mr Kumar, who is better known as Moko. "We need to be better parents, better equipped with the skills to deal with our kids in a more appropriate way,"

Better parenting is an issue that will be discussed in Huntly today as community groups come together at a free workshop co-ordinated by Child Protection Services (CPS).

CPS marketing manager Janine Evans said the workshop was being held on International Child Abuse Prevention Day to create awareness and find solutions for prevention of child abuse.

Child, Youth and Family figures show there were 8505 notifications of possible child abuse in the Waikato region for the year ending June 2009, with 5433 of these requiring further investigation.

The workshop will include representatives from police, Housing NZ, social workers, teachers and Plunket, who will cover all aspects of child abuse including where it stems from and the long-term repercussions – both physical and emotional.

Mr Kumar said too many people in the community accepted violence and that he feared it was the norm. "We need to get the message across that the way we have historically dealt with our children is not right," the father of two, with a third on the way, said.

Ms Evans said another workshop was planned for Hamilton on White Ribbon Day, November 25.