Anti-abuse strategy 'fails to fix causes'

By CATHERINE MASTERS

A key child abuse prevention strategy that the Government is touting to world experts as a success is actually inadequate, say its opponents.

Last night, the Minister of Social Services, Roger Sowry, told the 12th congress of the International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (Ispcan) that around one in 20 New Zealand families -- nearly 25,000 in total -- risked being seriously disadvantaged.

To arrest the slide, the Government had adopted a proactive strategy called Strengthening Families, under which the Crown and community agencies would work together more effectively around the needs of high-risk families.

But although Mr Sowry says progress has been good, lobbyists say the approach targets the odd desperate family and does not address underlying social policies creating much of New Zealand's social dysfunction.

Implementation of the strategy began last April and is now operating across most of the country.

"For at-risk families, the dream is starting to become a reality," Mr Sowry said.

"It's too early yet to get too starry-eyed about it, but I can assure you that it is working and that cases are beginning to emerge with results that would bring tears to your eyes."

But Labour's social welfare spokesman, Steve Maharey, says a report released under the Official Information Act shows that the strategy has failed to address huge areas that have contributed to social dysfunction in New Zealand.

The report, on the consultation process leading to the strategy's implementation, highlights a range of problems, including inadequate housing and a lack of health and mental health services.

Mr Maharey said the strategy dealt only with the symptoms, not the cause.

"You've got Northland with just one problem after another -- no resource absolutely in some cases like youth mental health, and nothing going on systematically to stop kids taking drugs in the area."

The National Government had spent eight years creating the problems.

"To go to a conference now and say, `I feel very bad about this, I'm going to deal with a few cases of it,' is simply not credible."

But last night Mr Sowry said the report had been released months ago and had encouraged the Government to pursue and obtain more resources for Strengthening Families.

"I can tell you of cases where we've got children back living with their families, children back to school and motivated again, families living in safer environments than they were."

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