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Paedophiles to be offered form of chemical castration Professor Don Grubin, a criminal psychiatrist, from Newcastle University's Institute of Neuroscience, has been appointed by the Department of Health to coordinate the treatment nationally. He is running an advisory to identify those who would benefit from anti-libidinal medication, which includes Prozac and cancer drugs. Prof Grubin said the treatment would only be available at the end of an offender's jail sentence and not as an alternative to prison. He said: "These are not individuals who are going to be released because of this treatment. They are offenders who have served their time. "This isn't part of the punishment, but aims to reduce the likelihood that they will need to be punished again. The question is, do you want them out there with treatment, or without it?" Evidence from Scandinavia suggests rates of reoffending have been cut to five per cent from more than 40 per cent. Mums 'accept natural birth risks' ...But the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital study suggested that women, given an informed choice, were less likely than the professionals treating them to take a more cautious approach. A total of 102 women, 84 midwives, 166 obstetricians, 12 urogynaecologists and 79 colorectal surgeons were interviewed to find out whether different complications would prompt them to choose a Caesarean. Researchers asked them about mild complications such as a prolonged birth and superficial tears to severe problems such as anal and urinary incontinence, vaginal prolapse and severe tearing. In all categories, the pregnant women were far more likely to be prepared to put up with complications in order to have a natural birth than their midwives or doctors. Study author Catherine Turner said: "Our study found that pregnant women were more likely to aim for a vaginal delivery, and they accept a higher threshold of risks from vaginal delivery when compared with clinicians." Professor Philip Steer, the journal's editor in chief, said: "This indicates that experiencing labour and attempting a normal birth are two very important priorities in women's decision-making. Fathers getting a piece of the parenthood action Political correctness destroying New Zealand, says ex-All Black coach Sir Brian, who captained the All Blacks from 1966 to 1970, laid the blame on political correctness. "We are living in a PC world which is destroying us, where you actually can't put the hard word on people when they have digressed and committed bad blunders," he said. ...."Yes, I smacked my children, but I've never hit them. Yes, I smacked other people's children, but I never hit them. But we are not allowed to do that any more in this PC world."
It would take five to 10 years before the success of immunisation could be evaluated, when the first cohorts of vaccinated girls became sexually active, said Gabriele Medley, who chaired the meeting for the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. The vaccine acts against cancer-causing strains of the sexually-transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV), which most young women contract and then clear spontaneously. The virus only causes disease if it persists. ..Annabelle Farnsworth, director of cancer pathology at Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology, said immunisation, offered to 12-year-olds in a school-based program and to women aged 18 to 26, only offered protection against virus strains most likely to lead to cancer. But other strains could also cause the disease. "What if the other ones become more prevalent?" said Adjunct Professor Farnsworth. Government analysis had shown expected cancer risk was three times higher in vaccinated women who did not have Pap tests than among unimmunised women who had regular two-yearly smears, she said.
Only 7 per cent of mums return to work because they feel their career is important and a similar proportion want time out from the family. Grandparents have become the new childcare as the soaring cost of looking after the children increasingly becomes prohibitive. A lot of shouting but lots of love in average family (UK) The poll was commissioned by Channel 4 to inform a documentary series on the family, starting next month. It found that, despite the everyday frictions, families retained strong ties of love and affection. Among teenagers 98% said they loved their parents and 69% said their families were the most important people in their lives. Nine out of 10 families sit down to dinner as a unit and 80% of parents say "I love you" to at least one member of the household daily.
The groups say the act which limits advertising spending by non-political parties soliciting votes for or against a party unless they register as a third party is anti-democratic and stifling public debate....McCoskrie said he had reached the conclusion that having an opinion "was almost illegal in New Zealand". "We are are an organisation advocating for certain issues and we have as much of a right to be heard as anyone else. That is what an election is about. We shouldn't be afraid of the debate of ideas."
The two vaccines, Gardasil by Merck Sharp & Dohme and Cervarix by GlaxoSmithKline, target two strains of the virus that together cause an estimated 70 percent of cervical cancers. Gardasil also prevents infection with two other strains that cause some proportion of genital warts. Both vaccines have become quick best sellers since they were licensed two years ago in the United States and Europe, given to tens of millions of girls and women. “Despite great expectations and promising results of clinical trials, we still lack sufficient evidence of an effective vaccine against cervical cancer,” Dr. Charlotte J. Haug, editor of The Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association, wrote in an editorial in Thursday’s issue of The New England Journal. “With so many essential questions still unanswered, there is good reason to be cautious.” In her article, Dr. Haug points out the vaccines have been studied for a relatively short period — both were licensed in 2006 and have been studied in clinical trails for at most six and a half years. Researchers have not yet demonstrated how long the immunity will last, or whether eliminating some strains of cancer-causing virus will decrease the body’s natural immunity to other strains. More to the point, because cervical cancer develops only after years of chronic infection with HPV, Dr. Haug said there was not yet absolute proof that protection against these two strains of the virus would ultimately reduce rates of cervical cancer — although in theory it should do so. Dr. Richard Haupt, medical director of Merck, called these concerns “very theoretical,” noting that continuing research and monitoring suggested that immunity would be longlasting and that the vaccine would not lead to problems with other strains.
..But some experts worry about the consequences of the rapid rollout of the new vaccines without more medical evidence about how best to deploy them. They say that because of the aggressive marketing, even parents of girls who are far from being sexually active may feel pressured into giving them a vaccine that is not yet needed and whose long-term impact is still unclear. Legislative efforts to require girls to have the vaccine only add to the pressure.
Pharmac defends funding of flavoured condoms ...Conservative lobby group Family First has labelled the subsidised flavoured condoms as "morally bankrupt and an insult to people with breast cancer, high blood pressure and heart disease". It called for the Government to reverse this spending decision. National director Bob McCoskrie said it was "tragic and a national disgrace". "At a time when Pharmac can't find funding for sufferers of breast cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and other serious problems, that they can find funding to subsidise flavoured condoms," he said. "This is simply about funding sexual behaviour that shouldn't be at the cost of the taxpayer or other more life-threatening medication. Is Pharmac going to consider subsidising sex toys next?" He cited a number of people missing out on funding for drugs. "Yet Pharmac can find funding for strawberry flavoured condoms." Privacy broken to save lives ...Investigations by commissioners into child murders, such as those of Masterton half-sisters Saliel Aplin and Olympia Jetson in 2001, blamed a lack of information-sharing for the deaths and continuing cycle of violence.
...Family First National director Bob McCoskrie, who was in court for the decision, said the Bill of Rights had just stomped all over the will and right of families. "This is a free-for-all now. Any grubby parade can now happen on the street." Capital Next for boobs on bikes
LISTEN Newstalk ZB - Bob McCoskrie interviewed by Larry Williams CLICK HERE (takes a few minutes to download)
Schoolgirls dodging cancer vaccine offer ....But others last night were expressing a different view, stating the results showed a number of parents were uncertain about the vaccination, including the possibility of side-effects. The Therapeutic Goods Administration website states 1013 adverse reactions had been officially logged as at June 27, 2008, including 202 for headache and 156 for dizziness. Yesterday, a newspaper reported on three cases of pancreatitis possibly linked to vaccination, although the matter has yet to be fully investigated. Australian Family Association spokeswoman Angela Conway, while not opposed to the vaccination, said those behind the program seemed to assume every young person would have multiple sex partners. The vaccination provides protection to young women exposed to the human papillomavirus, a form of sexually transmitted disease. Strains of the virus are thought to cause about 70 per cent of cervical cancer. CSL has already reported a sales slump in the US as conservative groups link Gardasil with promiscuity. CSL spokeswoman Rachel David said Gardasil was studied for almost 20 years before its release in Australia and its benefits greatly outweighed the risk of adverse effects from immunisation. From the editors desk - Kindergarten is doomed Bad childhood experiences tied to early drinking The findings, reported in the journal Pediatrics, add to evidence that negative childhood experiences are related to early drinking. What's new is that they point to specific circumstances that may be especially problematic, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Emily F. Rothman of the Boston University School of Public Health. They found that adults who reported any of those five childhood experiences were more likely not only to drink early, but to drink specifically to cope with their problems. Drinking early, especially as a way to manage stress, could shape a person's drinking patterns for a lifetime, the researchers note -- possibly raising the risk of alcohol dependence in adulthood. Overall, two-thirds of the respondents said they had gone through at least one negative childhood experience. However, only five types of experiences stood out as being linked to early drinking. Childhood abuse was most strongly associated with early drinking, conferring a two- to three-fold higher risk. Similarly, having a family member who was mentally ill or a substance abuser doubled the odds of early drinking. Adults whose parents had divorced or separated when they were children were 70 percent more likely to report early drinking than those whose parents stayed together.
...Mr Crow said if the court granted an injunction, the parade would still proceed and he would be prepared to be arrested "because, as I say, I think it is a breach of the Bill of Rights". Councillor Cathy Casey, who initiated the court action, told yesterday's city development committee that the parade had nothing to do with the Bill of Rights and freedom of expression. She said it was a blatant marketing exercise to promote the expo and use Queen St to sell hard core pornography. "If this council can't control what goes on in Queen St, why are we here?" she said. All but one member of the committee supported the action. Councillor Bill Christian said the parade should go ahead for civil liberty reasons. Family First national director Bob McCoskie said the parade was "in-your-face sexualised nudity" and supported enforcing the bylaw to stop it before it happened.
Boobs on Bikes ride faces legal challenge ...Family First National director Bob McCoskrie will speak at the council meeting in support of the motion. "The Boobs on Bikes parade is a commercial stunt advertising an R-18 event, with sexualised nudity in a public street that is offensive to many people and completely inappropriate for young people and children to view," Mr McCoskrie said. "The websites which the parade advertises contain explicit sexual material and we would argue that the parade is essentially an advertisement and in breach of advertising standards. "It is a pity that it may take a court injunction to force the police to act against something that has so much public opposition. It is time families were put first." He said it was ironic Mr Crow had a "flagrant disregard" for the council bylaw, as he had stood for mayor last year and could have been responsible for enforcing those bylaws. Mr Crow could not be reached for comment. Violence linked to abortion rate The figures have been published in two new papers stemming from a survey of about 1400 women aged 18 to 64 in Auckland and a similar number in rural Waikato in 2002, which was focused on finding the rates of domestic violence and associated factors. The new papers show, not surprisingly, that domestic violence is associated with higher rates of both intentional abortions and accidental miscarriages, as well as with higher rates of drinking, smoking and unwanted pregnancies. But lead author Janet Fanslow of Auckland University said the surveys also provided the first-ever measures of the prevalence of both abortion and miscarriage in New Zealand. AdvertisementThe overall abortion rate of 14 per cent among all women who have ever been pregnant was much lower than in the United States, where 29 per cent of ever-pregnant women under 45 had had an abortion, according to an official survey in 1995. Topless parade protest Dr Casey says she hopes police will put a halt to the event before next Wednesday, but is prepared to take action if they don’t. "I find it abhorrent," she says. "It’s not about women with naked breasts on Queen St, it’s about the purpose of it, which is to advertise his R-18 expo." The controversial parade is organised by pornographer Steve Crow to promote the Erotica Expo.
Dyson said yesterday that she did not deliver the speech and had "no idea" what the term "triples" referred to. The speech should never have been posted on the Government's website, she said. Asked what the Government's policy on polygamous relationships was, Dyson said: "The social security legislation is very clear about what a relationship is you're either single or a couple. A couple is in the nature of marriage, which includes civil union and de facto. "It's been the same for years. It's been tested in court. There's no interest in changing it."
Another guest, Mercy Mission founder Barbara Stone, said she agreed with the work requirement "as long as it's in school time and there is someone at home for the children for the rest of the time". She said it was hard to get jobs for sole parents, who often had low self-esteem.
"Some of the five-year-olds coming in are very low functioning," she said. "Their parents have used P and they have low levels of language, they're talking like two-year-olds, (have) a low ability to concentrate, and very poor behaviour." He and other principals had noticed the trend and discussed it. "I think it's going to get worse as we have to manage these children from P families, unless there's adequate support offered from the Government in the form of social workers in every school or a counsellor."
Cr Sue Wells said a retreat from the bylaws would be a disappointment for Christchurch, but it was "extremely difficult" to police prostitution through bylaws. "There will be disappointment in the community. It means that we cannot do some of the things people might reasonably expect us to do," she said. Wells said it would be hard for the council to control brothels because the central register was not accessible and did not show locations.
Other policies outlined included: READ MORE http://www.investigatemagazine.com/tgif8aug08.pdf If you or any of your friends wish to subscribe, the website is http://www.tgifedition.com
Missing girl's parents frustrated The officer handling the missing person's file for Janelle, Senior Constable Keith Olds, of Christchurch, said police could act but lacked concrete leads as to her whereabouts. Mr Savage said Janelle's latest disappearance was one of several but in the other cases police had contacted him because she had been involved in various offences and he had been able to go to Christchurch to collect her. Mrs Savage said police could do more. "I think its wrong. We've told the police roughly where she is. Why can't they do anything?" However, Senior sergeant Dave Raynes, of Invercargill, said police did have the power to act under the Children and Young Persons Act but were hampered in this case as Janelle had not been located. Family First NZ director Bob McCoskrie said he also believed police could do more. "The role of parents and the right of parents to know where their children are is being undermined by privacy legislation and the so-called rights of the children." If a child was not from a dysfunctional home where he or she was unsafe or where the family did not care then parents should have rights of access to the child, he said. Two into one won't go: Cambridge survey shows new doubts over working mothers "While British attitudes are more egalitarian than in the 1980s, there are signs that support for gender equality may have hit a high point some time during the 1990s," said Scott. "When it comes to the clash between work and family life, doubts about whether a woman should be doing both are starting to creep in." The Fawcett Society, which campaigns for equal rights for men and women, said the study showed how "attempts to shoehorn women into workplaces made by men for men have failed". ..Mary MacLeod, chief executive of the Family and Parenting Institute, added: "Many mothers tell us that in the first year of a baby's life they want to stay at home, but often feel they have to return to work too early because of financial constraints. We need to do more to help mothers and fathers by increasing well-paid parental leave and changing how it can be shared between them."
Police Commissioner Christine Nixon said police had seen a 26 per cent increase in family violence reports involving attacks by adolescents between the 2002-2003 and 2006-2007 financial years. "I knew there was an issue with adolescents . . . but didn't really understand the size of the problem," Ms Nixon said.
Minister of Education Chris Carter released the ministry report heralding a "concerted effort by schools supported by the ministry". Family First national director Bob McCoskrie, who pursued the ministry over the data, said he could not believe the report did not even touch on a nationwide problem. "We need to be asking ourselves some pretty tough questions about why almost 1000 kids are being chucked out of primary schools for behaviour that is just so bad that schools have got to the point where they won't even work with it," McCoskrie said.
Troubled pupils kept on at school - to make government look good! A ministry policy introduced in May last year aimed for the number of high school early-leaving exemptions to be halved. The latest report from the ministry shows 6.6 per cent of applications were turned down in 2006, rising to 36 per cent last year. About 28 per cent fewer students applied in 2007. The changes meant a net reduction of 50 per cent in the number of exemptions granted. Burrows said there was also pressure to reduce the number of suspensions and stand-downs, which made it impossible to enforce a zero-tolerance policy on drug use. "We get hammered for our high suspension rates," she said.
But obesity experts criticised ministers for "tip-toeing" around the issue. Tam Fry, board member of the National Obesity Forum, said it was important to be upfront with parents. Experts in the US had also suggested banning the word obese but had now changed their minds and decided the word was necessary, he said. "I find this particular line from the government tip-toeing through the daffodils," he added. "The Americans have gone back to using the term because it's the kind of shock word that makes parents sit up and take notice. It's a nasty word but by God it should sound alarm bells in parents' minds.
Lack of veggies can lead girls to a life of obesity ...As childhood obesity rises, adolescents are more often turning to unhealthy methods to control their weight. A University of Minnesota study found that nearly 20 percent of girls and women had used diet pills by the time they turned 20. The incidence of use in high schoolers nearly doubled over the five years of the study, from 7.5 percent to 14.2 percent. The study revealed that more than 60 percent of teenage girls had resorted to diet pills, laxatives, vomiting or skipping meals to control their weight, and girls who employ these extreme diet methods are also more likely to be overweight. "A lot of girls believe that the way to lose weight is to cut calories,” Bellatti said. Ironically, a pattern of crash dieting or extreme calorie restriction will eventually affect metabolism and could lead to weight gain in the future. Why 'cotton wool' children face risk of mental problems Society has become too focused on the feelings of the individual, meaning young people 'think that they are the centre of the world and blow out of proportion any setbacks or challenges in life', she added. 'Young people are not fragile - they can be likened to springs or balls,' she said. 'People can bounce back psychologically after being knocked out of shape, just like in nature.' Miss MacLean said mental illness is on the increase, with 11 per 08cent of the UK's 16 to 24-year-olds having a major depressive disorder. One in ten children between the ages of five and 16 is said to have a 'clinically recognisable' mental disorder. And there is evidence from the Institute of Psychiatry that the number of teenagers with emotional and behavioural problems doubled between 1974 and 1999. Miss MacLean told the Times Educational Supplement that part of the problem is a culture of entitlement which vaunts instant success, increases self-obsession and undermines resilience. She also called for a fundamental change in attitudes towards feelings of negativity. 'People are frightened of negative emotions,' she said. 'This encourages them to try to suppress their emotions. Paradoxically, research shows this causes more of the negative sensations they didn't want. 'People think bad feelings don't have a purpose, that feelings such as guilt, shame and frustration are only negative - but research shows such sensations can galvanise us to do things differently. We need them to succeed.'
University researcher Taisia Huckle said the younger participants were generally supplied with alcohol by their parents or relatives, while the 16 and 17-year-olds had friends buy it for them. The legal age for buying alcohol in New Zealand is 18. The density of bottle stores in a teenager's neighbourhood was strongly related to how often they drank and how much they drank on each occasion, Huckle said. Liquor Licensing Authority statistics show New Zealand had 35 licensed premises per 10,000 people in 2006, compared with 18 per 10,000 people in 1990. The research suggested restrictions on the number of licensed premises as a low-cost and effective way of reducing alcohol-related harm, such as violence, arrests, drink-driving and car crashes, among young drinkers.
Kiwis well protected from child porn websites It was difficult to stem the flow of exploitative material, because much of it came from impoverished nations where the enforcement of laws, if existent, was negligible, he said. But regulators in western nations could put measures in place to stop illegal sites from being made available to users within their country. This was increasingly successful in New Zealand because of the filtering operation run between the Internal Affairs Department and internet service providers. Deconstructing the idea that child pornography was purely made by deviants, Mr Mancer said much of the illegal material was generated by organised crime syndicates, which did it solely for financial gain. ....In one study, 19 percent of images analysed were of toddlers and children thought to be under 3 years of age, while 39 percent were of children thought to be aged between 3 and 5.
Mayor John Banks yesterday said the council was opposed to the parade because it exploited women. But he acknowledged difficulties with the bylaw, such as defining what was offensive and whether it could stop the parade. The bylaw states the council can turn down a permit for an event if it "reasonably believes there is any other objectively justifiable and reasonable grounds for declining consent, for example that the event will be or is likely to be offensive". Read our Media Release Topless Public Parades Promoting Porn Industry Are Offensive
Family First labelled the sentence "offensive, pathetic and spineless. This is like putting a person battling with overeating next door to the local bakery. The rights of the victims, many of them children, to see justice are being trod on," national director Bob McCoskrie said. Also under fire was a decision to sentence a Palmerston North man to eight months' home detention and 150 hours' community work after he admitted possessing 2000 child-porn images and films, including images of adults sexually abusing babies. "Their decisions are spineless and send the completely wrong message. And they are perpetuating the problem by allowing offenders to be placed where the community, children, and even the offenders themselves, are put further at risk," Mr McCoskrie said. "Each one of these images represents the violation and degradation of our most vulnerable - the ultimate in child abuse from which these children may take a lifetime to recover. Yet the average effect of the punishment for each image is staying home for less than three hours."
Family First director Bob McCoskrie said the finding was cause for concern. "You can have 300 friends on your Bebo site, but you still need those deeper relationships. There needs to be engaged interaction amongst the family." The Internet had surpassed other people as the main source of information, the report said.
"He is a man who we caught importing and exporting disturbing graphic sexual images of very young boys through the Internet over a two-year period, though he admitted to doing it for five years. He doesn't appreciate the impact of his actions. He is a high risk of reoffending and even if his computer is taken away, there are small children right there in front of him. If parents had known, maybe there would have been a public lynching." The impact of Milton's offending was felt in the courthouse, as people sitting in public gallery, awaiting their own appearances, walked out in disgust as Judge Bruce Davidson detailed the explicit nature of the images. Man gets home detention for possessing about 2000 images and movies, many of adults having child sex Doctors' advice to Britons: have fewer children and help save the planet Managing the impact of a soaring human population will be one of the most politically fraught issues governments will have to grapple with in coming decades. Although the rate of population growth has slowed since the 80s, the UN estimates the world's population has increased by about 76 million a year this century, which drives up greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbates the destruction of wildlife habitats. Previous efforts to limit population growth in India in the 70s and in China, with its one child policy, have made any attempt to raise the issue in Britain highly controversial. The authors call on schools and GPs to develop education programmes to explain how a rising population is environmentally unsustainable, and how families who have no more than two children will help ensure the population remains steady or even falls. Divorce still damaging to children despite being more acceptable Family break-up was subject to much greater social stigma at the time, something that was sometimes thought to contribute to the problems experienced by the children of divorced parents. Yet the study's data suggest that greater social acceptance of divorce has not reduced its impact on children. "It might be expected that as divorce has become more commonplace, its effects might have reduced," the researchers write. "Yet a comparison with children born in 1970 shows that this is not the case." Comparing the outcomes of people born in 1958 and those born in 1970 when they reached their early 30s, the researchers found that the children of divorced parents in both groups were equally likely to lack qualifications, be on benefits and suffer from depression.
Polls showed the law change was a major election issue for about 5% of voters (TRUE), Ms Bradford said. The "most powerful forces" working against the law change were those involved in the petition for a referendum on the issue (FALSE - IT'S THE HUGE PROPORTION OF NZ'ERS). There was no question the petition had been "amazingly successful" (TRUE) given that it was very difficult to meet the required 10% target, she said. "They have poured a huge amount of time and money into it. (TIME YES MONEY NO MORE THAN CHILDRENS COMMISSIONER / UNICEF / BARNARDOES et al) " More signatures were collected for the petition after the first petition fell short when more than 5000 signatures were declared invalid (FALSE 50,000). A report on the validity of those further signatures was expected at the end of August. "I feel sure some of the people who signed it then have changed their mind since (FALSE), but that doesn't negate the legality of those signatures." Any potential threat to the law change would depend on the make-up of the next government (TRUE). Her biggest concern would be any attempt to change the law to define an acceptable level and nature of violence, as that would send the message violence against children was acceptable (FALSE), she said. The role of academics and researchers in any future debate would be "incredibly important". There was no evidence people were being "dragged off to court" for minor offences (FALSE) and she welcomed research presented at the seminar which showed 44% of voters were in favour of the new legislation (FALSE), she said. "While Family First are creating the perception 80% are against it, I feel this is much more in line and that the proportion is about 50-50. (FALSE)"
..The first was a teenager who was attending high school on a student visa, and who worked at the brothel for more than a year. The accused allegedly received a percentage of the girl's earnings throughout the year. The girl normally saw four clients per shift, but had as many as 14 clients on each shift. She also did outcalls and worked as a stripper. Her student visa prevented her from working legally, Currie said. "The Prostitution Reform Act was designed to protect people like her from exploitation," Currie said. Four of the charges related to a second girl, 16, who police alleged was allowed to work at the brothel by the accused.
To investigate, as well as to better define whether parental qualities influence a child's sexual behaviour rather than vice versa, Coley and her team used increasingly stringent statistical techniques to analyze the results of a survey of 4950 US teens, 1058 of whom were siblings. The adolescents were 12 to 16 years old when the study began, and completed the survey every year for 3 years. By comparing parenting quality and sexual behaviour for siblings raised in the same household, Coley noted, it is possible to tease out potential cause-and-effect relationships. The more times a week that an adolescent reported having dinner with their family, "doing something religious" as a family, or having fun with their family, the less likely he or she was to engage in risky sexual behaviour, the researchers found. However, having a parent who used "negative and psychologically controlling" behaviour increased the likelihood that a teen would be having risky sex. This includes "criticizing the ideas of the adolescents, controlling and directing what they think and how they feel," Coley explained. "Negative and psychologically controlling parenting behaviour may inhibit adolescents' development of self-efficacy and identity, interfere with mature and responsible decision making skills, and affect the development of healthy relationships, in turn leading to an elevated likelihood of engaging in risky behaviour," the researchers suggest. On the other hand, they add, family activities are "centrally important supports for children, providing opportunities for emotional warmth, communication, and transmission of values and beliefs." The findings make it clear, Coley said, that "what parents do with their adolescents really matters."
It is against the law to leave children under 14 without making reasonable provision for their care and supervision. What is considered ‘reasonable’ also takes into account the circumstances and length of time the children are left alone. By law parents are required to assess all the circumstances and make sure that any child left alone is safe and in no danger otherwise they can be prosecuted or Child, Youth and Family can become involved. 'Babies from the grave' a step closer The committee has also paved the way for so-called saviour siblings - whose embryos have been pre-selected to create a child to aid a sick brother or sister - to include other relatives such as cousins and also assist those with non-genetic diseases, such as leukaemia. At present, "saviour siblings" can be created to assist only with genetic diseases, such as Huntington's. Fertility clinics are welcoming the proposals but the Catholic Bioethics Centre said it opposed the discarding of embryos that failed the selection process for "saviour siblings". The Catholic Church was also concerned about life being created outside a "loving context", centre researcher John Kleinsman said. What's in a name? Ask Sex Fruit The judge was stopped talking yesterday by Principal Family Court Judge Peter Boshier. His office did provide some New Zealand-registered names the court knew of. They included: Fish and Chips (twins), Masport and Mower (twins); boys Yeah Detroit, Spiral Cicada, Kaos, Stallion and Hitler; girls Cinderella Beauty Blossom and Twisty Poi; and sex unknown Keenan Got Lucky and Sex Fruit. Messy families working tired mothers to the bone The Australian Family Association said it was no surprise Aussie women were being worked to the bone - a fact not acknowledged by the Government. Victorian association president Angela Conway said women were picking up the slack because husbands were working longer hours and teenagers were stressed with homework and part-time jobs. "Our public policy fails to acknowledge the huge workload that goes into running a household and keeping the family happy," said Ms Conway. "Married men are working more than 40 hours a week, time pressures are increasing, our social life is diminishing and we are less connected to our community and family than we have ever been.
Dirty shoes? Don't use the dishcloth But it seems we can at least recognise unhygienic habits in others - 52 per cent would not accept a second invitation to dine at a friend's house if they saw the same thing there. We are also a lazy lot, with 82 per cent choosing to let a pot soak to avoid washing it when it was their turn to do the dishes. Some give up altogether, with 47 per cent admitting having thrown out a pot because it was too difficult to clean. But while these habits are practised by a large number of Kiwis, not all are willing to put up with them. Six per cent of respondents had broken up with a partner because of their kitchen hygiene habits. The survey also revealed that 34 per cent of people believed ATM keypads were the most unhygienic surface they touched.
A sleep study involving more than 3,100 students at four Massachusetts public high schools produced some eye-opening results, according to Roberts' colleague, Professor Michael Smolensk. "The top students, the ones earning mainly A's and B's, went to bed earlier on both weeknights and weekends than those who received C's, D's and F's. The high achievers slept about 25 minutes longer on school nights than did the low achievers," Smolensk wrote in his book, "The Body Clock, Guide to Better Health."
..Most cases were one-off incidents, with offenders stood down for a few days before returning to class. More than 1600 pupils were removed from school for serious misconduct, though most were under the legal school-leaving age of 16 so had to be enrolled at another school or alternative education provider. But overall numbers fell by nearly 2000 compared with a year earlier, suspensions hit an eight-year low and early-leaving exemptions for 15-year-olds halved. Mr Carter hailed the drop as evidence schools were using more resources to deal with badly behaved kids, keeping them engaged at school longer and "reducing the levels of unacceptable student behaviour". ..However, teachers and principals reject suggestions behaviour has improved, saying schools are under pressure to cut suspension rates, even though staff often face violence and abuse.
No matter how involved a man was with the birth, he was sometimes sidelined during the early months of the child's life. "This magazine would make dads feel included. It's important to feel this is an important time for fathers, as so much of the focus seems to be the other members of the family."
"Yes, competition is healthy but at that young age the result isn't as important as the fun of play. Five-year-olds should be experiencing play and games. Some parents were pressuring young children to hold adult expectations about their performance, Mr Stewart said. "The adult structure and expectations of sport are being driven into a younger and younger age group. They want the best for their kids, but sometimes they let their own views of what sport should be get in the way of what kids' idea of sport is."
"I regret the letter to the President," she said, still frail and moving in tiny steps with the help of a walker. "Everything was so dark for me earlier, but I am excited about my mobility now and I am confident I will improve."
British fathers have the most unequal rights in Europe, entitled to only two weeks of leave compared with 52 for mothers..Ms Brewer said that calls to the commission’s helpline from women who had lost their jobs after becoming pregnant suggested that they were paying a heavy price for their new rights. She said that her fears deepened earlier this year when the entrepreneur Sir Alan Sugar claimed that many employers binned the CVs of women of childbearing age. Business leaders have criticised the new maternity laws, saying that they are a headache for employers and that it is difficult to plan the workforce if parents go part-time. But this is the first time that a criticism has come from an organisation that campaigns on behalf of women... Ms Brewer said she feared that plans to extend the right to request flexible working hours until children were 16 could hamper women’s employment prospects further. Officials at the commission say that they are studying research from Sweden that has found that fathers who take up to two years off work after the birth of a child are 30 per cent less likely to get divorced.
The charity has asked 6,429 adults and a host of celebrities, including Debra Stephenson, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Sir Terry Wogan, for their most treasured moments.
Previous studies have shown that babies who are breastfed tend to have lower body weights. It is also thought that formula feeding and the early introduction of solid food may predispose children to obesity. The study, published in the JAMA Archives of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, said three quarters of children receive some form of childcare by people other than their parents before they are one year old. Children labelled hyperactive really 'just naughty' Children with ADHD cannot concentrate on school work or play and are easily distracted, forgetful or fail to follow instructions. They also unduly noisy, restless and fidget constantly and often talk excessively, butt in to other's conversations and cannot wait in line. Estimates suggest that around 1.7 per cent of the population is affected by ADHD, mostly children and if it cannot be controlled with behavioural therapy then medication such as Ritalin is considered. In the study, based in Tower Hamlets, 52 children were referred to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services team with ADHD-like symptoms over the course of one year. Of those, it was clear most did not have ADHD and 14 were observed in the classroom by the mental health team. Eventually six were diagnosed with ADHD. The researchers said that they are unsure why teachers may be over-identifying children with possible ADHD diagnoses. Lead author Dr Benjamin Keene, said: "Naughty children may at some point present symptoms but someone with ADHD has them at all times." They suggest that better educational resources need to be made available to teachers to help them accurately identify those children with ADHD, and that CAMHS teams should develop structured school observation tools or telephone interview schedules, so that identified children can be independently and expertly assessed in a classroom setting.
"These new initiatives are about ensuring that our schools are safer places for students," Carter said. "I know that all parents want their children to be safe at school and not subject to bullying or harassment." The way schools deal with bullying will also come under scrutiny from the Education Review Office (ERO). Schools will be asked if their anti-bullying programmes include a focus on racist or homophobic bullying, sexual harassment and bullying of students with special needs. The initiatives have been welcomed, but sector leaders have emphasised the importance of community and family involvement.
...Describing Civil Union legislation as a major move forward for LGBT New Zealanders, Clark recognised that full marriage may be preferable, noting that some countries are moving toward this. She told the crowd, however: "We had a difficult time over Civil Unions, so we're taking a breather on that one." Taking questions later, she offered to "have a word" in Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's ear about supporting gay marriage, when the two leaders meet for lengthy discussions in coming weeks. ...The PM summed up: "I'm in politics for a kinder, fairer, more inclusive society. Legal changes like Homosexual Law Reform and Civil Unions don't trigger an instant change of attitude in all people, but over time, they serve to normalise things. "Mainstream New Zealand will move with the times - but you need that legal framework." Safe family project 'in disarray' A 2006 evaluation of the project has been issued after the National Party requested it under the Official Information Act. The party's justice spokesman, Simon Power, had asked why it took so long to issue. The lack of collaboration revealed was "extremely concerning", as collaboration was the linchpin for the project. "This is an extremely sensitive and important area and we've simply got to do better," he said. The teams, comprising police and social workers, were supposed to coordinate between domestic violence agencies, including police and Child, Youth and Family, to intervene with at-risk families. Instead, the report by academics and Justice Ministry officials found though the teams made some progress, they faced "mistrust and resistance" in some areas. They were blocked from essential information from CYF, courts, police and women's refuges. And when they identified issues of concern, they could not deal with them as other agencies would not support them. They also struggled to keep staff, were uncertain about their role and found workloads so big they could not deal with the large geographical areas assigned to them.
The package will include resources written by pupils to encourage in-class discussions about bullying and changes to the way the Education Review Office assesses schools' anti-bullying programmes. Children's Commissioner Cindy Kiro said physical and emotional violence was a problem in all schools and an issue of public concern. It was consistently highlighted by children as one of their gravest fears and could have devastating emotional effects on young victims.
Kiwis second highest drug users - study The research was based on interviews with 85,052 participants in 17 countries. It was published today in the journal of the Public Library of Science. ...Differences in illegal drug use were more marked among young adults: by the age of age 15, drug users in New Zealand (27 per cent) and the USA (20 per cent) had the highest levels of cannabis use, with almost no use in Asia, Middle East, or Africa. Only 7 per cent of teens in the Netherlands had used cannabis by the age of 15. But the majority of young adults in New Zealand (62 per cent) and the USA (54 per cent) had used it by age 21, compared to 35 per cent of those in the Netherlands. Drug use "does not appear to be simply related to drug policy," the authors said. Countries with stringent policies towards illegal drug use often had higher levels of such drug use than countries with more liberal policies. In the Netherlands – which has more liberal policies than the USA – 1.9 per cent of people reported cocaine use and 19.8 per cent reported cannabis use. Males were more likely than females and younger adults were more likely than older to have used all the drugs examined.
He cited the example of New Zealand, where anti-smacking legislation had sparked a public backlash and had prompted calls for a referendum. "It is amazing to think Queensland is considering going down this path when New Zealand is trying to reverse its decision," Mr Bosscher said. "Our laws already provide the option to prosecute parents who abuse their children. Child sexualisation shrouded in weasel words |
Gardasil: Pap smears still essential, say specialists
Working mums prefer to stay home with kids (Aust)
Members of the average British household spend 34 minutes a day shouting at each other, a poll of couples with children showed last night. It found that just over half the families argue at least once a day. The shouting persists for an hour or more in 35% of homes, rising to 50% in households with more than one child. The YouGov poll of 1,000 parents and 500 teenagers also found 23% of mothers and 19% of fathers confessed to loving the family pet as much as their own offspring. Parents said the phrase they used most often to their children was: "Why? Because I said so." This was the favourite retort of 19% of parents, followed by "money doesn't grow on trees" (14%) and "you should have thought of that before" (11%).
Groups set to put Electoral Finance Act to test 
Researchers Question Wide Use of HPV Vaccines 
Taxpayers fund vanilla condoms 
Boobs on bikes tasteless but harmless, says judge 
Law change call after court throws out boob challenge
Court may decide today over Boobs injunction 
Minister denies support for polygamy 
Flexibility urged for sole parents 
School kids pay high price for P use
Brothel bylaws may be wiped 
Kiwi Party wants to rebuild role of marriage 
Young sons abusing their mothers (Aust)
High school students "causing merry hell" are being held in schools by Government measures that principals say are designed to make politicians look better. Rangiora High School principal Peggy Burrows has spoken out on a Ministry of Education policy to cut early-leaving exemptions in half. She was yesterday backed by the presidents of the Canterbury and national principals' associations. "Because it's an election year, the Government is trying to make sure the statistics look really good," Burrows said. A clampdown on troubled students being allowed to leave before they turned 16 was "very difficult". "You're dealing probably with the most disengaged group or, in North Canterbury, with young men who have got really good job opportunities and can earn really good money and they don't see the reason for staying at school," she said.
Parents to receive letters if children are obese
Many teenage girls are not getting the nutrients they need to ensure healthy development, putting them at risk for weight-related problems and cardiovascular disease. Female adolescence is an important time for setting up adult health, as nutritional needs change because of increased growth and the beginning of menstruation, said Andy Bellatti, who runs the popular nutrition blog Small Bites. But studies have shown that on average, teenage girls are not getting enough fiber, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium or vitamins A, E and B in their diets, and are eating too much saturated fat and sodium, said Bellatti, who is also a graduate student in New York University’s Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health. 
Children do not learn how to cope with life's setbacks because a 'cotton wool' culture stops them experiencing hardships, an education expert claimed yesterday. Sandy MacLean says there is a link between a rise in mental health problems and a culture of entitlement which promotes the belief that success and celebrity do not need effort and hard work. She said youngsters must experience adversity so they develop resilience, but are increasingly protected from life's hard knocks. Miss MacLean, an adviser to teachers and lecturers on mental health problems among students, blamed a tendency to treat young people like infants who cannot handle responsibility. But this only encourages them to behave like infants, she said. 
'De facto drinking age' plummeting
Family loses out as Net takes over 
British couples should consider having no more than two children to help reduce the environmental impact of the rising global population, doctors have said. An editorial in the British Medical Journal today calls on GPs to encourage the view that bigger families are as environmentally dubious as owning a patio heater or driving a gas-guzzler. Writing in the journal, John Guillebaud, professor of family planning at University College, London and Pip Hayes, a GP based in Exeter, urge doctors to "break a deafening silence" over the use of family planning to curb the rise in population, which has been viewed by many in the community as a taboo subject.
A study run over several decades has shown that children whose parents split up are more likely to end up without qualifications, claiming benefits and suffering depression. The National Child Development Study has tracked around 17,000 people born in Britain during one week in 1958 over the course of their lives. As those people approach their 50th birthdays, researchers have compared their lives with those of other sample groups born in earlier and later years. The lengthy study has confirmed that children born in 1958 were much less likely to experience parental divorce than children today. 
Vigilance needed still on child abuse (should read Vigilance needed to keep smacking banned!)
Schoolgirl `worked in brothel' 
More family meals mean less risky teen sex
Home-alone kids put at risk - police
Women could soon have "babies from the grave" or give birth after menopause using frozen eggs. The influential Advisory Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology, set up in 2004 to advise the Government, recommended yesterday that frozen eggs become an established procedure in fertility treatment. New Zealand women have been able to freeze their eggs since 2005, but it has been illegal to use them in fertility treatment programmes such as in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). If adopted, the controversial proposal would enable career women wanting to postpone children and those without a partner to put their fertility "on ice" by freezing their eggs for later use. It could also mean that, if a woman gives permission at the time her eggs are harvested, then later dies, a surrogate could be impregnated with the embryo containing her egg - in effect creating a baby from the grave.
Students need sleep to succeed
New daddies get a helping hand
Pushy parents 'put schoolkids off sport' 
Euthanasia petitioner beats death, hugs life
Children's beach days more memorable than latest toys 
Putting babies in childcare 'makes them fatter' 
Teachers are misdiagnosing some children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder when they are just naughty, psychiatrists have warned. Only half of children teachers suspected of having ADHD were diagnosed with the condition by a mental health expert, a study found. The results of the study carried out in East London will be presented at the annual meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. 
Anti-bullying measures launched 
Gay Adoption Bill is "off the ballot" - Clark
Scheme to stamp out playground violence 
Laws a legal minefield: lawyer