Plunket and Section 59

information from www.plunket.org.nz

If Section 59 is repealled, will I become a criminal if I smack my child?
Plunket: "...The police will only take action when it goes too far."

Answer the question Plunket.  Will you be a criminal or not?  Police prosection has got nothing to do with it.  There are plenty of criminals out there (house-hold robbery for instance), who have not been caught, but are nonetheless criminals.

Plunket: "...Section 59's repeal is not about criminalising ordinary parents.  It will simply remove a legal defense that is used when parents seriously assult their children..."

Could you remind us again exactly how many times it's been used Plunket?  Maybe seven times - in the history of Section 59.

Plunket: "Children are number one - that's the only statistic worth recording"

Really?  Why is that?  If the child is number one, then are the parents number two and three?  No, the child is part of the family.  No rank needs to be assigned, thankyou.  Good parents are those who care enough to, at times, smack their children to reinforce the serious nature of the rule that has been broken.

Among the list of "things that children respond really well to", as incentives or reasons for doing what they are told, are the following:

- having a good example set for them
- communication about what is right and wrong
- consistent, authoritative discipline
- routine
- clear boundaries and expectations
- time out
- removal of privileges

How are things such as removal of privileges, routine and time-out to be enforced?  What if your child doesn't want his privileges removed?

What then?