Tuesday, October 7, 2003

ATSIC call to smack kids?

Aboriginal parents should be able to smack their children to improve discipline, ATSIC Northern Zone Commissioner Kim Hill said yesterday.

He said Aboriginal parents and family members were intimidated from disciplining children by social workers and government agencies. The lack of discipline could explain the high incidence of anti-social behaviour and levels of crime among some Aboriginies, Mr Hill said. He said politicians and lobby groups had made decisions on behalf of Aboriginal people about how to best rear their children.

The ATSIC commissioner said the high levels of regulation was not unlike the attention focused on Aboriginal families that led to the creation of a Stolen Generation of Aboriginal people. Mr Hill said he did not condone violence and admitted he did not smack his own children, but he stressed he wanted the issue of child discipline debated among Aboriginal people and community leaders.

"Society and lobby groups have made decisions in relation to the rights of Aboriginal children," Mr Hill said.

"I don't support violence generally but then you have Aboriginal children not paying respect to parents.

"Where does society lie with our responsiblities?

"Many of our parents don't necessarily have the authorisation of being a father or mother. That's been taken away by legislation."

Mr Hill said changes in the capacity of parents to discipline children had occurred about the same time as levels of youth crime increased among young Aborigines.

"You can't even discipline your own kids," he said.

"Parents are frightened the people from welfare may come and take kids away from them."

"They're frightened about what teachers at schools would do."

"Look at the gangs."

"It's a direct result of how kids today are disciplined."


Northern Territory News

By CAMDEN SMITH February 07, 2003 posted 7 October 2003

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