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Weekly Media Roundup

August 11, 2017 at 12:47 PM

Taken by the state

A Family Court practice described as “barbaric” allows police to take children from their parents with no prior warning. The removals are used to enforce parenting orders, but are they harming the children the system is meant to protect? Melanie Reid and Cass Mason report.

The vilification of ‘the Māori mother’ in Aotearoa: family violence and victim-blaming

New Zealand’s shameful rates of family violence place us at the bottom of the heap when it comes to intimate partner violence and child abuse in the OECD. Māori are among the greatest offenders and victims alike. Simon Day spoke to Denise Wilson about the history of family violence in this country and her solution to the problem.

BANG! Episode 2: Sex and Sensibility

In episode two of RNZ's podcast about sex, we explore how teens deal with sex ed, relationships and the influence of pornography. Plus famous Kiwis travel back in time to deliver sex advice to their teen selves.

Loneliness and elder abuse

Social isolation and loneliness make elderly people susceptible to psychological abuse – sadly most often perpetrated by their own family members.

Louise Rees and Hanny Naus from Age Concern New Zealand discuss the problem.

Useful work has been done in the media to destigmatise depression, Rees says, and she would like to see the same treatment given to loneliness.

Liz and Sam’s Story: A pick-a-path game about NZ families on low incomes

Today ActionStation and the Morgan Foundation launch Liz and Sam’s Story, a pick-a-path game based on the lives of New Zealand families living on low incomes. In the first of a two-part series, the Morgan Foundation’s Dr Jess Berentson-Shaw discusses the in-depth research behind the game.

Ministry investigating child 'found by cleaners'

It is unacceptable that a teenager was forgotten at an Auckland government office and found by cleaners after hours, Children's Minister Anne Tolley says.

The child, now identified as a 14-year-old girl, was left behind at an Auckland Ministry for Vulnerable Children office. Initially she was reported to be a boy.

She was found in the evening by cleaners, who called the police. Police went to the office and contacted ministry staff.

State 'funded' abuse at isolated boot camp for young people and ignored warnings for 16 years - former minister

The former minister for Child, Youth and Family says her department "funded" the abuse of young people at a boot camp on Great Barrier Island.

When it comes to sport, boys ‘play like a girl’ - no disparity in physical abilities

Girls in primary school are just as physically capable as their male classmates, according to our research, taking the sting out of the insult "you play like a girl".

When we compared primary school children's physical capabilities, differences between girls and boys were not as important as people think. So, they should be happily playing with and competing against each other in the backyard, playground and sporting fields.

Man who viciously attacked estranged wife loses High Court appeal

The man who viciously attacked his estranged wife with a piece of wood while she slept with her youngest daughter beside her, has failed in a bid to have his jail sentence reduced.

Lealofi Setu's lawyer Jonathan Eaton, QC, argued in the High Court in Christchurch that the sentence starting point of 10 years was too high, resulting in a "manifestly excessive" imprisonment term.

Southland toddler Bea Daleon's fatal injuries 'non accidental' - Coroner

A babysitter accused of murdering a toddler may never be brought before the courts.

That is the view of a coroner who found, on the balance of probabilities, Bea Marguerita Daleon, 2, died from blunt force trauma to the head sustained in "non-accidental circumstances" while in Karen Nenite De Luna's care.

Coroner Brigitte Windley said in her ruling, released on Wednesday, the case was "unusual" and may never be "tested in court" because De Luna was in the Philippines, a country with no extradition treaty with New Zealand.

Attempt to strangle woman 'red flag' for police, court hears

The choking of a woman by her violent partner was a "red flag" for police, who sought jail time for the repeat offender.

Anaru Paikea Watson's prolonged assault of his partner included punches, pushing and two attempts to strangle the victim.

On Monday, Sergeant Lewis Sutton told the New Plymouth District Court the fact the 35-year-old had tried to choke the woman was of serious concern to police.

A new way to measure deprivation in New Zealand might help those worst affected

The most deprived place in the country is near Fordlands in Rotorua, while the least deprived is an area near Merivale in Christchurch.

There are 108 zones classified as "most deprived" in the South Island, but 10 times as many - 1083 - in the North Island. Wider Auckland alone has 432 of those. Kawerau has the country's worst employment deprivation, but the worst income deprivation is in Pukekohe.

Those are just a few insights gleaned from a new tool developed to locate the areas in New Zealand with the most socioeconomic deprivation and explain why they're deprived.

Teen jailed for stabbing stepmother 15 times

An Auckland teenager researched serial killers before stabbing his stepmother 15 times.

Michael McRae, 17, was sentenced on Tuesday in the High Court in Auckland to six years and seven months imprisonment after pleading guilty to attempted murder.

Laws can’t keep up with modern relationships

Property law and rules around benefit fraud are not keeping up with the changing landscape of relationships, with many in de facto relationships now seeing themselves as financially independent. Baz Macdonald surveys that new landscape and explains what it means for an ongoing Law Commission review of the Property (Relationships) Act of 1976.

My six-year-old daughter gave me an important lesson about consent

OPINION: My six-year-old daughter recently had an issue with a schoolyard game at her school.

Although she told them that she didn't want to play, a group of boys from her class chased her anyway. When they caught her they pinned her to the ground, kissed her and tickled her.

Sexually explicit material of Kiwi youngsters going online weekly, police warn

Police are receiving two to three reports every week about Kiwi children and teenagers posting sexually explicit images or footage of themselves online - including children as young as 6.

That rate is increasing and opposition parties are now calling for better resourcing of a specialist police team to tackle online child exploitation.

On The Beat: Help is at hand for anger management

OPINION: Addressing issues around family harm is an ongoing priority for police, government and the community.

It's a continuing key focus area set for police by the commissioner to reduce family harm in New Zealand.

The violence aspect of family harm involves dominating and controlling other whanau/family members through economic, sexual, physical and psychological or emotional abuse; permeating and underlying these factors is fear.

The Salvation Army Manukau Community Ministries is running a new early intervention programme working with men facing issues with family harm.

Teachers struggle to tell what's sex abuse and what's play acting

New research in Australia has revealed children as young as five are displaying worrying sexual behaviour at school and that teachers lack the training to tell whether the students are victims of sexual abuse or are imitating what they see in music videos or on the internet.

New Zealand Child Matters consultant Alan McGlade says he hasn't seen this coming through in his work with Kiwi teachers, but he wouldn't be surprised to find the issue was here too.

Break the Silence: Chief science adviser Sir Peter Gluckman says the way to reduce teen suicide starts at preschool

New Zealand's "she'll be right" attitude could be a major cause of our shocking youth suicide stats, says the Prime Minister's chief science adviser.

In an exclusive interview for the final week of the Herald's special series, Break The Silence, Sir Peter Gluckman outlined key ways he believes we can reduce the number of young people killing themselves.

They include looking beyond prevention programmes and building resilience, self-control and social skills in children at preschools and primary schools.