London: An unlikely alliance of lawyers, child professionals and politicians is condemning as unworkable plans to "jail" parents in Britain who administer anything stronger than a light smack to their children.But it would be better if parents were sentenced to a program called 'Parent Effectiveness Training' by Thomas Gordon Phd or instead just buy them the book and sentence them to reading it.
Under the changes in the Children Bill, passed by the House of Lords by 226 to 91 votes, parents would face imprisonment for up to five years if they caused bodily harm to their child.
Parents smacking their children lightly condones physical violence and locking parents away in prison takes away the child's parents and also could leave a child vulnerable.
So this is no compromise unless children can be compromised?
The fact is children cannot be compromised and neither can the child's parents especially when it comes down to having effective carers.
So the best way is to compromise instead and to having them learn more about being better parents, rather than locking them up.
Valuing children now!
Partial ban on smacking condones other physical punishment, says experts!
NSW legislation banning parents from hitting their children above the neck in effect condones physical punishment, a child abuse conference will hear today.
The 2001 legislation specified where a child could legally be hit, which only perpetuates the view that physical punishment is normal and a parent's right, Bernadette Saunders, of the Child Abuse and Family Violence Research Unit at Monash University, says.
But under the UK measure, parents could be prosecuted for causing bodily harm if their smacks lead to grazes, scratches, swellings, cuts abrasions or bruises. Reddening of the skin would be permitted, but only if it were transitory.
David Hinchliffe, the labour MP who plans to push for a full ban on smacking when the bill returns to the House of Commons said, "it's a recipe for lawyers to print money because they will still be arguing over whether an assault has been committed or not".
But more importantly a partial ban on smacking condones other physical punishment, says experts!
International No-Smacking Day April 30 2004
A Cure For Violence and Domestic Violence simple as ABC.
If it's a crime to punish children or adults for that matter then the "punishment is the crime". Punishment, threats and smacking only get short-term results if any result at all.
Three slaps? Three bad lessons!
A MOTHER became a convicted criminal yesterday, for smacking her three-year-old son at a supermarket. She lost control after her son threw a tantrum in the middle of Coles at Dee Why. As a Coles employee and a shopper watched, the mother hit the kicking and screaming child about the head two or three times. She then dragged him to where his father was waiting at the checkout.
By No Spank posted 14 July 04
Related:
International No-Smacking Day April 30 2004
If it's a crime to assault children, or adults for that matter, then the punishment is the crime. Punishment, threats and smacking only get short-term results, if any result at all.
Domestic violence biggest risk factor for Vic women
A new report into the effects of domestic violence on Victorian women shows it is responsible for more ill health and premature deaths than any other risk factor for women aged between 15 and 45.
Three slaps? Three bad lessons!
A MOTHER became a convicted criminal yesterday, for smacking her three-year-old son at a supermarket. She lost control after her son threw a tantrum in the middle of Coles at Dee Why.
Parents face cure for delinquent offspring
There are usually better ways of introducing parents to better Parent Effectiveness Training and not necessarily in an election year or when delinquent offspring have already got into trouble.
No excuse for Indigenous violence: Quartermaine
The acting head of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission says domestic violence in Indigenous communities has reached epidemic proportions.
Jordan's death could have been prevented
His extensive facial injuries and fractured ribs suggested he had been dragged face down over carpet or a sofa and punched hard in the abdomen. It was (alleged) Hoerler then set about crushing Jordan's little toes one by one with a fan clamp but was that true?
But there are Keys!
Charles Dickens said, "Life is a secret and you haven't got the key." "And you never will have." True, that you cannot see or know your future! But there are keys and you may need them in order to survive. Also the skills you have are the resources you have to survive events that occur in your life. Some people don't get through it. Some people do. Some people have better results than others do.
Valuing children now!
The 2001 legislation specified where a child could legally be hit, which only perpetuates the view that physical punishment is normal and a parent's right, Bernadette Saunders, of the Child Abuse and Family Violence Research Unit at Monash University, says.
Development problems hit 1 in 4 kids: study
Australian of the Year Fiona Stanley has described the results of a groundbreaking study into child development as frightening.
WHEN THE PUNISHMENT IS THE CRIME AND PLANTING THE SEED In New South Wales today if you get into trouble with the law you have little or no defence. Unless you're wealthy enough to get yourself a lawyer and even then the odds you will escape justice are minimal because of the infrastructure and resource of the government opposed to your Legal Aid Status. I am not saying Legal Aid cannot help you but I am saying they have become overworked and under resourced.
Zero Tolerance for Families
A three-strikes plan, which uses the threat of fines and jail to (force) parents to meet their parental obligations after divorce, could be introduced under a draft proposal from the parliamentary committee charged with reviewing the Family Law Act.
Australia to tackle child abuse and rescue impoverished children?
A national report on child protection in the Northern Territory has blasted the system, saying it has abandoned the most impoverished children and families in Australia.
ATSIC call to smack kids?
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.
No-Smacking Day for Children in NSW
Patmalar Ambikapathy the Children's Commissioner, HOBART Tasmania spoke to Gregory Kable a caseworker at Justice Action at the Controlling Crime Conference at Redfern in Sydney yesterday and we both realised how parallel our ideas about crime prevention were.
States to cooperate on school curriculums but social skills don't rate? State and territory education ministers say Federal Education Minister Brendan Nelson's heavy-handed threats to school funding will not assist their ambitious initiative to develop consistent school curriculum’s in key subjects.
NSW education professor warns further commitment needed
The author of a report on the New South Wales education system has urged the major political parties to do more for education in the election campaign.
Fiona Stanley, the children's crusader
It is all about prevention. As Fiona Stanley sees it, with one in five Australian teenagers experiencing significant mental health problems, there are just not enough treatment services to cope with the demand.
Parents call for feedback on social skills
Parents are calling for the same level of feedback on their children's social development as on their academic progress, according to a national survey.
Alcohol is just the beginning
People who start using alcohol by their mid teens are more than twice as likely as others to experiment with different drugs and to become dependent on drugs a major Australian study has found.
The punishment: Is the 'crime'
The punishment is the crime according to retired chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia Justice Alistair Nicholson. "Smacking a child ought to be seen as assault".
RESTORING TRUE JUSTICE:
Australian prisons are fast becoming the new asylums of the third millennium. The prison industry is booming, while Australia spends far less on mental health services than similar countries.
The Seed
Respect, you only get out what you have put in. What about Life Skills, Communication and Conflict Resolution. Evolution, perhaps some children and adults miss the whole or part of the course. I did, and so how surprised do you think I was when I realised my parents missed the course as well. Things like Compromise, Win Win, Empathy, and Love. Invisible energy and other skills like public speaking, how to Relate, Assuming, Blaming, Forgiveness, Freedom and Discrimination. This is how I learned respect. If you don't know what it is then how do you relate?
