0800 line urged to fight child abuse

An 0800 telephone line to report child abuse and a bipartisan children's caucus were among suggestions from the Commissioner for Children yesterday to fight child abuse.

Child-friendly zones, parenting courses, anger-change courses for women, a child abuse prevention plan, mandatory responses to alleged child abuse, paedophile tracking, and the development of strategies to show alternatives to smacking were also proposed by the commissioner, Roger McClay.

He outlined the "bare bones" of these ideas at the public health nurse regional forum at Te Awamutu yesterday.

"It is shameful that the most well-known New Zealand children are those who have died from brutal beatings and neglect.

"The violence perpetrated upon too many children in New Zealand needs to stop," Mr McClay said.

A 24-hour 0800 line would encourage people to report suspected child abuse and neglect.

"People can and do ring Child, Youth and Family Services, and my own office. But they do not always want to ring these two offices. They want anonymity and they need an easy number to ring," he said.

Children's rights issues usually transcended party politics, Mr McClay said, and he did not know of any MP who opposed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Uncroc).

"One great initiative for New Zealand would be to have a cross-party children's caucus ... a team of politicians dedicated to promoting the best interests of our children - people who would closely examine all legislation, using a child's eye."

He hoped Hamilton would decide to work with his office in a trial of child-friendly zones.

"Imagine driving into Te Awamutu and seeing a large sign - every bit as large as those 1980s 'Nuclear Free Zone' signs - saying 'Child Friendly Zone, Uncroc Area'. You would immediately know that this was a region which knew about children's rights," he said.

Regular parenting courses could benefit communities. It was important to educate parents about the positive inputs needed during the "magnificent first three years of brain development."

The concept of mandatory responses to child abuse, as opposed to the controversial idea of mandatory reporting of child abuse, had also been floated.

These should be "a response that is immediate, a response that is sanctioned by the Government as a valid, professional and recognised intervention," Mr McClay said.



Women could be violent, too, and they needed to accept that and know where to seek help, Mr McClay said.

Anger-change programmes were available and should be offered in every community.

He was sorry it had not been possible to establish a service to cater for the needs of children and families devastated by the impact of paedophiles.

"We need brave, independent agencies who will be there for these children and their families," he said.

He also called for community forums to explore alternatives to smacking. Delegates at this week's child abuse conference voted unanimously to get rid of the law allowing it.

Fifty recommendations made in a report by Mr McClay, following the death of preschooler James Whakaruru - beaten to death by stepfather Ben Haerewa, who was jailed for 12 years - are already being looked at by an inter-agency working party of chief executives, chaired by Dame Margaret Bazley.

- NZPA