Children enrolled in self-defence classes

Worried parents are enrolling children as young as five in self-defence classes in a bid to protect them from the threat of danger from strangers.

With child abuse statistics at an all time high - nearly 50,000 notifications to Child, Youth and Family last year - parents are arming their children with basic self-defence techniques.

Around the country, self-defence classes for children between 5 and 12 have attracted thousands of enrolments this year.

Children are taught how to react if confronted by stranger danger and other threats to their safety, including from people they know.

They are also coached on how to break holds and how to respond if attacked with a weapon.

Many courses are specifically targeted at girls.

Though the measures are seen as a positive reaction to the issue of child abuse, some believe it is a sad indictment on New Zealand that parents have to resort to such courses to ensure their children's safety.

Morgan Libeau, who has run self-defence classes in Auckland for the past 20 years, said many parents were doing their best to ensure their children were safe.

In the past 12 months, the Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower Trust has run self-defence classes for around 2000 people - half of whom are children.

Christchurch's Methodist Mission has also recorded an increase in numbers on its life-skills and self-defence programme.

Mission community services manager Donna Allen said more children were saying they had experiences of feeling unsafe in the playground and in the community.

"An increasing number of children need to learn self-defence. It's a reflection on society in general."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY