"Public Health Association" spin-doctored "research"

The "Public Health Association", (whoever they are), have released a poorly construed piece of misinformation. They title their "media release" Link Between View of Children, Physical Punishment. They've based this statement on what they refer to as "research". This "research" was the analysis of about 170 submissions to the select committee on the issue of the repeal of Section 59. The sub-title they have given the "media release" is Study Indicates Link Between View of Children as 'Developing Adults' and Support for Physical Punishment . In the article they state: ...submitters who viewed children as what have elsewhere been called "human becomings". Why can't they just tell us what the submitters actually viewed the children as, instead of this warped propaganda?

In the sub-title of the article, they equate 'Developing Adults' with 'Human Becomings' however the two terms have different meanings. While the first term appears to be more reasonable, the second term indicates a belief that children are not entirely human.

Then, based on 170 (or fewer) submissions, (conceivably specially selected from the total pool of 1700 submissions), the "Public Health Association" tells the media: "The research indicates there may be a need to look at people's most deep-seated beliefs about children and childhood, before their beliefs about physical punishment and discipline can be addressed".

"We found a link...", "There was a link...". What a load of rubbish. You don't "find links" between statistics based on just a handful of submissions. And then to have the effrontery to publish their results as "research", in a media release, hah, it blows your mind.

Referring to the above statement, "Ms" Russel says: "One place where this could be explored is in parenting classes. Discussions about how parents view children and childhood would be a good place to start us thinking about how we go about parenting them."

OH YEAH, that's what we want. We want a bunch of socialistic, beurocratic, (childless) yuppies shoving copious numbers of their "the experts say..." quotes down our throats.

Below, for your entertainment and/or information, I have reproduced the "media release", in full.

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Link Between View of Children, Physical Punishment Thursday, 5 July 2007, 3:24 pm
Press Release: Public Health Association n MEDIA RELEASE
Study Indicates Link Between View of Children as 'Developing Adults' and Support for Physical Punishment

Embargoed to 3.15pm, Thurs 5 July

A Victoria University study has concluded that people who view children primarily as developing humans are more likely to support the use of physical punishment to discipline them.

Researcher Marie Russell told the Public Health Association conference at Auckland University today that an analysis of some of the submissions to the select committee on repealing section 59 of the Crimes Act indicated submitters who viewed children as what have elsewhere been called "human becomings" tended to support the retention of section 59.

"Those who saw children as human beings in their own right tended to support the section's repeal", Ms Russell told the public health workers.

Section 59 of the Crimes Act formerly allowed people charged with assault of their children a defence of using reasonable force for correction. Its repeal passed in May and came into force on June 22.

"We analysed about 10 percent of the 1700 submissions to the select committee. We found a link between views of children as 'developing adults', and support for physical discipline. There was also a link between a view of children primarily as human beings and support for the repeal of section 59".

"The research indicates there may be a need to look at people's most deep-seated beliefs about children and childhood, before their beliefs about physical punishment and discipline can be addressed".

"One place where this could be explored is in parenting classes. Discussions about how parents view children and childhood would be a good place to start us thinking about how we go about parenting them." Ms Russell said.