Increasing Bad Behaviour by Children Expected
Increasing Bad Behaviour by Children Expected
MEDIA RELEASE
22 August 2011
Increasing Bad Behaviour
by Children Expected
Family First NZ says that reports
of knife attacks in primary schools
table behaviour by children, and as parental authority is undermined by politicians.
"We have tried to bury our heads in the sand on this growing problem - but the problem hasn't gone away and is only worsening. And it will get worse as parents feel disempowered by anti-smacking laws, the underlying message of children's rights over parental responsibility, and discipline being deemed a dirty word," says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.
"In 2008, Family First caught out
"And it's not just in schools. Ministry of Justice statistics released last year showed that from 1998-2008, the number of police apprehensions for grievous/serious assaults by 10-13 year olds increased by more than 70%. For each of the most recent two years, there had been almost 1,000 apprehensions for 10-13 year olds for all violent offences, which include aggravated robbery, sexual violation, indecent assault, and serious assaults - an increase of a third since 1998," says Mr McCoskrie.
"Alarm bells should be ringing when there has been a 70% increase in the number of young children committing a serious enough act of violence to warrant police involvement, and almost 1000 children are being chucked out of primary schools for behaviour that is just so bad that schools have got to the point where they can't even work with it - even when the Ministry of Education is pressuring schools not to suspend or expel students."
"There are many factors that may be contributing to these statistics including the levels of violence in the media and games, the undermining of parental and school authority, the 'rights' culture being fed to young people, and family breakdown and fatherlessness," says Mr McCoskrie.
"But one thing is clear - the situation will only get worse unless we return authority and responsibility to parents and teachers."
ENDS