MEDIA RELEASE
28 February 2007

14% Increase in Child Abuse despite Swedish Smacking Ban

Latest figures from Sweden reveal that more and more children are being abused in Sweden.

According to The Swedish Daily, there has been a 14% increase in child abuse cases in 2006 compared with 2005 figures.

This backs up earlier research showing that child abuse increased 489% in the 13 years following a ban on smacking, and assaults by minors against minors increased 672%.

In a 2000 Swedish Government report, it said “we see no tendency to a decrease in bullying at school or in leisure time during the last 20 years”

And in the European Crime and Safety Safety Report commissioned by the UN and European Commission released two weeks ago, Sweden had one of the worst assault and sexual violence rates in the EU.

Sweden’s Children's Ombudsman Lena Nyberg said last year "In Sweden, many people believe that children have not been subjected to violence since the ban on corporal punishment was introduced, but this is not true."

“The conclusion from Sweden’s experience is quite clear,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “Bans on smacking do not affect rates of child abuse –in fact the evidence shows that it does more harm than good.”

“And it would be in the best interests of kiwi families for MP’s to consider the overwhelming evidence of the failures of smacking bans to lower child abuse – before they vote for Sue Bradford’s ‘anti-smacking’ bill,” says Mr McCoskrie.

Source:
New child abuse commission after Bobby death
http://www.thelocal.se/3734/20060505/
Child abuse increase in Sweden
http://www.svt.se/svt/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=22620&a=768537&lid=senasteNytt_275

ENDS