Posts Tagged ‘Teachers’

Persecution of Parents To Be Investigated by National

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

MEDIA RELEASE

5 November 2008

Persecution of Parents To Be Investigated by National

Family First NZ is welcoming comments by senior National MP Judith Collins that if elected, National will check whether the anti-smacking law has resulted in needless prosecutions and persecution of parents.

“We have stacks of evidence and testimony that good families have been targeted by this flawed law and that it has failed to deal with actual child abuse,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “Families have been referred to CYF by schools, neighbours, members of the public, their children, and even their children’s friends for non-abusive smacking. And some families have also undergone police investigation.”

“This has caused huge stress and anxiety to families who are simply trying to raise good law-abiding kids in an appropriate way.”

“All the records show that police and CYF notifications have sky-rocketed yet there has been no corresponding increase in actual child abuse being discovered or prevented.”

“For people like Sue Bradford and Helen Clark to try and argue that it is not an anti-smacking law is to deny the reality of how it is being treated by the authorities, and what their intention was from day one.”

Family First NZ has already sent a large file of cases to National leader John Key highlighting good families being persecuted and prosecuted as a result of the flawed law, and will continue to collate evidence of the harmful effects of this law.

ENDS

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

Bob McCoskrie – National Director

Mob. 027 55 555 42

Pastor charged with felony for spanking son

Saturday, October 25th, 2008

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=79008

Pastor charged with felony for spanking son

Teacher calls social services on father after he paddles child for lying


Posted: October 25, 2008
1:00 am Eastern

© 2008 WorldNetDaily

A Wisconsin pastor has been charged with felony physical abuse of a child after he spanked his 12-year-old son for lying and a teacher notified social services.

Barry W. Barnett Jr., 43, of Poynette, Wis., is free on a $10,000 bond, but he could face up to three years in prison and fines for disciplining his son, the local Portage Daily Register reported.

At the pastor’s hearing, Barnett’s son said his father was right to spank him .

“He gave me a chance to tell him the truth, and I just kept lying to him,” the boy said.

The boy said his father gave him two “swats” that “hurt a little” on his rear end in June. He told authorities both he and his dad cried while he was disciplined.

The 12-year-old said he was warned he might receive a spanking if he continued to act up and that he understands what he did was wrong.

“You should not lie to your parents and you should not go to places (where you are not allowed),” he said.

One of his siblings mentioned the spanking to a teacher, who called social services, according to the report.

A June 7 report from the Divine Savior Healthcare emergency department indicated that the boy had slight bruising on his buttocks, but it said there was no swelling and he was not experiencing pain. The medical paperwork said the boy told physicians he didn’t think he was abused and he loves his father.

The documents show the boy’s doctor does not believe he was abused, and he called the event a “social services fiasco.”

Barnett is a pastor at Lighthouse Family Ministries in Poynette, Wis. A father of nine children, he founded Guardian Christian Academy.

A judge ruled Thursday that the case will head to trial. Now jurors at the Columbia County Courthouse will decide whether the spanking constituted “reasonable discipline” permitted under state law. The pastor’s 21-year-old daughter, Amber, stood outside with a sign that read, “Thank you for spanking me dad” as a showing of support for her father.

District Attorney Jane Kohlwey told the Portage Daily Register the spanking was not reasonable, because it left bruising, though Barnett’s attorney claims photographs only reveal red marks.

“We feel that he went beyond reasonable discipline and that it’s a pattern,” Kohlwey said.

Barnett has been forbidden from spanking any child as part of his bond.

Teachers can use force on kids – cop

Friday, September 5th, 2008

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4682871a11.html

Teachers can use force on kids – cop

By LANE NICHOLS – The Dominion Post | Saturday, 06 September 2008

Teachers should not be afraid to “man-handle” violent children if they pose immediate risks, even if it means leaving bruising, the top youth aid cop says.

Serious sexual offenders as young as 12, who would be labelled paedophiles if they were adults, are preying on young victims, Inspector Chris Graveson says.

Many have themselves been victims of sexual abuse, and youth violence has become significantly worse in the past five years.

But many teachers are too cautious about using force in classrooms to protect children, despite being entitled to under the Crimes Act, he says.

Though forcible restraint might leave bruising on a child – and women bruise more easily than men – it can be necessary if the child poses immediate danger.

“If force is going to have to be used then that’s an actual risk of what can happen.

“You hear people saying, ‘you can’t touch children. You can’t do this, you can’t do that’. [But] if a child’s being attacked, you’re duty-bound to intervene.”

The children’s commissioner’s office rejected Mr Graveson’s comments. It was never appropriate to use enough force to cause bruising, office general manager Gordon McFadyen said.

“This office would be very surprised if it was official police policy to encourage teachers to use a level of force that would leave bruises on primary school children.”

Mr Graveson made the comments to primary school teachers in Wellington yesterday during an Educational Institute seminar on disruptive pupils.

The union, which represents 49,000 members, is due to unveil new guidelines this month for dealing with disruptive or violent children.

Nearly 7000 pupils were stood down or suspended for assaults last year.

Mr Graveson said young people often grabbed things as weapons during standoffs.

“They can cause serious harm to another child with one strike. They’re serious assaults we’re talking about.”

He said the word “force” was police jargon for any physical contact or touching. It should only be used as a last resort and in the best interests of the child.

Educational Institute president Frances Nelson agreed.

“Most teachers will say there are times when they knew they actually had to restrain a child – otherwise that child or other children, or other adults, would get hurt.”

Man to face trial over alleged ‘ear flicking’

Thursday, August 21st, 2008

This is what someone said on an email discussion group:

‘So this is what it has come down to – a father charged with assault for flicking his kid’s ear!

Meanwhile no-one is held responsible for the deaths of the Kahui twins.

Is this the sort of country we want New Zealand to be?

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10528277&ref=rss

Man to face trial over alleged ‘ear flicking’

2:44PM Thursday August 21, 2008

The Christchurch man accused of assaulting his two young sons will face trial.

In January, Jimmy Mason claimed he was harassed by the police when he was spotted publicly disciplining his four-year-old son.

He claims he only flicked the boy’s ear and that witnesses, including a teacher and an off-duty police officer, overreacted.

Mason was then charged with assaulting both his two sons, aged two and four.

A short depositions hearing took place in the Christchurch District Court this morning at which all the evidence was presented in written form. The media was not permitted to access the evidence.

Four witnesses will give evidence in Mason’s trial, for which a date is yet to be set.

– NEWSTALK ZB

A great post from darrenrickard.blogspot

Monday, July 7th, 2008

A great post from darrenrickard.blogspot

http://darrenrickard.blogspot.com/2008/07/param-namemovie-value.html

Helen Clark stares down the barrel and lies

I don’t usually post You Tube stuff here but this one is a gem of a home video. From Gyon Espiner from TV One news from last year.

Ms Clark says in similar words that, she would never like to see good parents live in fear of someone knocking on their door should they correct their child by giving them a wee smack.

That to pass a law, such as the anti smacking law, would be “defying human nature”, and Labour just would never do such a thing.

She in fact was caught out lying, again, but this time it was on video!

Now we shouldn’t be surprised about Ms Clark and her stance on smacking kids for “corrective purposes”, because she was part of a government in the 1980s that removed corporal punishment in schools that has led to violence and bullying in schools today and it just keeps getting worse.

Ironically it is one of Clark’s poster children for the anti smacking law, Cindy Kiro, that was last week looking into an initiative to “help” curb bullying of teachers and children on Helen’s behalf.

I don’t care what people say, I still can’t fight the feelings against pure logic when one tries to “fix” a problem that one created in the first place.

The repeal of section 59 will have similar consequences that the removal of corporal punishment from schools has.

Frankly, if you don’t get that, then you are thicker than Sue Bradford on Mogadon.

Related Political Animal reading

You can take the family out of South Auckland
Sue Bradford strikes out, Again
Helen Clark kicks democracy below the belt
Anti smacking referendum gets the votes
Sacha Cobern’s letter to NZ Herald Editor
Cindy Kiro gets violent
Anti-smacking law puts young boy at risk
Mallard in Court
Trevor Mallard’s anti violence advert
Duck Season Extended: Mallard must go