1. 'EXPLOSION' IN CYF NOTIFICATIONS BUT STILL MISSING ACTUAL ABUSE
Latest figures show we’re 'narking' on the wrong people
Family First NZ says that CYF’s limited resources are being wasted and non-abusive parents are being targeted, with a ‘blow-out’ in CYF notifications but the levels of actual abuse not increasing. CYF has received approximately 90,000 notifications this year - up from 32,000 in the 2002–2003 period – and a 30% increase on the 2007 year. Yet actual child abuse being uncovered has shown no corresponding increase. “We all want the public to feel compelled to report child abuse when they see it, but the ideologically flawed anti-smacking law has resulted in unwarranted reports of good parents which is a waste of the limited resources of CYF and the Police. Good families are being narked on because we have confused appropriate and reasonable parental discipline and correction with violence and assault,” says Mr McCoskrie. READ MORE

2. TWO NEW STUDIES SHOW ABORTION HARMS
a. NZ study links abortions, mental health problems
NZ Herald Dec 02, 2008
Women who have an abortion have an increased risk of developing mental health problems, New Zealand researchers have found. The long-term Christchurch study reported in the British Journal of Psychiatry of more than 500 women found a link between having an abortion and an increase of nearly a third in the risk of disorders such as depression and anxiety. ..The University of Otago team, Professor David Fergusson, John Horwood and Dr Joseph Boden, said the study had implications for the legal status of abortion in New Zealand and Britain where more than 90 per cent of abortions were authorised on grounds of serious threat to the woman's or girl's mental health if her pregnancy proceeded....Anti-abortion group Family First said the growing evidence of potential harm of abortion to the mother meant the abortion debate should be re-opened. READ MORE
READ Family First Media Release Research Shows Need for Renewed Debate on Abortion

b. US Study Shows Direct Link Between Abortion and Mental Health Problems
LifeNews.com November 28, 2008
A new research study featuring numerous controls and a national data set finds a link between abortion and psychiatric disorders. The study refutes the report the American Psychiatric Association released in August claiming abortion causes no mental health issues for women. The research team found induced abortions result in increased risks for a myriad of mental health problems ranging from anxiety to depression to substance abuse disorders. .."Abortion was found to be related to an increased risk for a variety of mental health problems (panic attacks, panic disorder, agoraphobia, PTSD, bipolar disorder, major depression with and without hierarchy), and substance abuse disorders after statistical controls were instituted for a wide range of personal, situational, and demographic variables," they wrote. READ MORE

BUT HEY - WHY TELL THEM THE TRUTH?!....
3. Girls (14) to be taught about their 'right' to have an abortion (UK)
Telegraph (UK) 26 Nov 08
Schoolgirls as young as 14 could be forced to watch a film that teaches them they have the right to choose an abortion. The film puts forward the idea that it is up to a woman if she wants to terminate her pregnancy, and makers claim only a few are left traumatised by the procedure. Made by the Family Planning Association, Why Abortion? shows a range of scenarios in which actresses justify abortion on the grounds that they cannot afford to have a child or that it could jeopardise their relationship with parents or boyfriends. READ MORE

4. Let's assess parenting balance
NZ Herald Nov 22, 2008
New Social Development Minister Paula Bennett wants a national debate over whether mothers are being pushed to go back to work too soon after having children. Ms Bennett, a solo mother herself, went back on the domestic purposes benefit (DPB) when she "fell apart" with exhaustion trying to do two jobs in about 1989 when her then 2-year-old daughter was in childcare. She told the Weekend Herald that the country had debated child abuse but needed a similar debate about getting the balance right between parenting and paid work. "I don't think we've had one so much on what it means for parents to go back to work earlier and the length of time that children are spending in early childhood education and daycare," she said. "I don't think we've had the debate as a society about women having their careers and having their babies later. I don't think we've had the debate about what that means."
,...Bob McCoskrie of the Family First lobby group said Ms Bennett's call for debate on the issue was "brilliant". "We want tax breaks for stay-at-home parents," he said. READ MORE

5. TV-viewing 'integral' to family life: study (Aust)
TELEVISION has become a substantial presence in the lives of most Australian children, with research showing that around one-third of three to four-year-olds watch more than nine hours of TV a week. READ MORE

6. More evidence ties media violence to teen violence
A new US study has found violence-packed TV shows, movies and video games actually can affect some children's behavior. Children who get heavy doses of media violence may be at greater risk of violent behavior as teenagers - even when a range of other influences is considered, according to a new study. READ MORE

7. Roadside testing for drugged drivers hailed
Wairarapa Times-Age 21 November 2008
Drug driving puts hidden killers on the road that only the law has hope of stopping, says Wairarapa AA chairman Handley Thomson. .....Family First NZ has welcomed the proposed widening of police powers to test and arrest drug drivers. "Based on international experience, the extent of the drug-driving problem is far greater than has been acknowledged," Family First NZ national director Bob McCoskrie, who made a submission to the transport select committee, said. READ MORE
READ Family First Media Release Drug Driving Law Welcomed
READ Family First Submission to Select Committee

And finally, a couple of great reads...
8. Inside the chaotic home of Nia Glassie
Dave Crampton Big News Blog 19 November 08
"Over a year ago Children's Commissioner Dr Cindy Kiro said she was "keeping her finger on the pulse" of the Glassie case, but would not begin any investigation of her own until the police inquiry and court action were completed. Well, it's finished now. Let's see if she can find her finger. Had she investigated Lisa Kuku several years ago when CYFS took away one of her children after she suffered a head injury, this whole sorry episode may not have happened. Not one of the people who lived in that house who got themselves into relationships are married. None of the adults currently live with their partners. Now, not one of their children live with their mother or their father." READ MORE

9. Prostitution law: a South Sea model?
Andrea Mrozek - MercatorNet.com 28 Nov 08
Canadians should be wary of the much-touted legalised regime in New Zealand. READ MORE

In this issue 18 Nov...
1. Smacking Referendum - The Spin Begins
2. Schools Failing To Tackle Violence
3. $1.5m paid to control violent and aggressive kids
4. Father charged for smacking - case dismissed
5. Worn down by a campaign that began in 2005
6. Paying for sex to be criminal offence (UK)
7. And from the US election - some interesting analysis
8. The harmful mistakes of sex education in school

1. Smacking Referendum - The Spin Begins!

A survey by Children's Commissioner shows that most people support smacking, but misleading and confusing questioning attempts to hide the real story READ MORE
Children’s Commissioner Survey Says Nothing New
Family First Media Release 14 Nov 08
Family First NZ is welcoming a Children’s Commissioner survey which says that only 20% of those surveyed disagreed with smacking in certain circumstances. “This is consistent with all other polls done throughout the year including research commissioned by Family First – that there is an 80% opposition to the anti-smacking law because most people know that smacking for the purpose of correction is not child abuse,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. Family First is concerned that only 80% said that children should be protected from assault. “This figure should be 100%. But the Children’s Commissioner has simply caused confusion by misrepresenting the effect of the law and the difference between assault and a light smack. This is yet more wasted government funding on information that has told us nothing new, done by an office trying to justify its existence,” says Mr McCoskrie.  READ MORE
READ the full survey.

2. Schools Failing To Tackle Violence
Family First Media Release 13 Nov 08
Family First NZ says that schools are being forced to turn a ‘blind eye’ to increasingly unacceptable behaviour and violence because of a drive by the Ministry of Education to reduce the numbers of suspensions and expulsions. The comments follow a Close Up programme which highlighted a vicious and unprovoked attack and yet the offender is still at the school and the victim (and family) is still be victimised by the inappropriate response of the school. “It seems ironic that as we are saying no to violence within families and our community, schools are tolerating and unacceptable level of violence, sexual and offensive behaviour and intimidation,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. READ MORE
See also...
3. $1.5m paid to control kids
A fund to help schools with troublesome pupils has dished out more than 1300 payments - mostly for dealing with violence and aggressive or threatening behaviour - with the majority being primary aged boys!! READ MORE

4. Father charged for smacking - case dismissed
Family First NZ is questioning why a Nelson father was charged for attempting to discipline his defiant and verbally aggressive child yet the case was dismissed just before the trial. READ MORE

Other news...

5. Worn down by a campaign that began in 2005
Commentator Chris Trotter, gutted by the election results, lets fly at Family First in a fit of rage! Classic stuff. "....Family First.... feted and funded as if their reactionary gobbets of fear and rage were the products of sage and sober reflection."  READ MORE

6. Paying for sex to be criminal offence (UK)
The legislation will cover women who have pimps or drug addicts who work to pay off their dealers as well as the rarer cases of trafficked women READ MORE
Family First Comment: Now there's a great idea. But will the new NZ government do likewise? Meanwhile, local councils like Upper Hutt are attempting to liberalise the laws READ MORE

7. And from the US election
* California stops gay marriage amid Obama victory
The wins on same-sex marriage bans signaled Obama's mandate is for economic policy, "not one to implement a radical social policy." READ MORE
* Voters Choose Not to Legalize Prostitution in San Francisco
Not quite everything goes in this liberal bastion! READ MORE

Finally - a great article to read...

8. The harmful mistakes of sex education in school
Times Online (UK) Minette Marrin 21 Sep 2008
Judged by its results – not a bad way of judging – sex education has been an utter failure READ MORE

In this issue 5 Nov 08...
Sorry to send out another Midweek Update so soon after the previous but there were a couple of important news items today that we thought you may like to hear about.

1. Persecution of Parents To Be Investigated by National
Family First Media Release 5 November 2008
Family First NZ is welcoming comments by senior National MP Judith Collins that if elected, National will check whether the anti-smacking law has resulted in needless prosecutions and persecution of parents. “We have stacks of evidence and testimony that good families have been targeted by this flawed law and that it has failed to deal with actual child abuse,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. READ MORE
Nats to check for parent persecution Manawatu Standard 4 Nov 08 READ MORE
Family First Comment : If you have evidence of families being investigated or prosecuted for non-abusive smacking, please email us confidentially admin@familyfirst.org.nz . Please add to our growing file!

2. Kapiti bares its defiance on nudity
Dominion Post 5 November 2008
Overwhelming opposition to nudity on Kapiti Coast beaches has sparked a flood of submissions on the district council's draft beach bylaw. Bernie Goedhart, Kapiti Coast District Council's group manager, said the council had received 369 written submissions. Those included about 900 signatures on three petitions, most of which opposed nudity on the district's beaches . READ MORE
Family First Comment : THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING UP ON THIS ISSUE. Almost 400 submissions sends a strong message to the Kapiti Coast Council and other Councils around NZ that families still want standards of decency in public maintained.

1. Home discipline still hot election topic
NZ Herald Oct 25, 2008
In a year when the morals and ethics of our political parties seem at an all-time low, voters are focused on policies sidling into our sitting rooms.
...While Mr McCroskie's organisation is a pressure group rather than a political party, it has signed on as a Third Party and is spending a chunk of its allocated $120,000 to push family values - and undermine this legislation. Mr McCroskie says the law sends an underlying message that parents aren't really in charge. "Kids are saying, 'You can't tell me what to do!' We need to establish parenting within the law and parents don't feel they've got it." He talks about a consistent message (feeding through legislation) that we don't rate parents. "We don't recognise parenting as a career choice. The message is, 'If you want to be a contributing member of society, get yourself a real job."' He is talking about paid parental leave, 20 hours' free childcare and all the other measures designed to make it easy for mothers to go back to work. READ MORE
See also Stick that could yet beat Clark
The Dominion Post 24 October 2008
The ironic thing about the so-called anti-smacking law is that it may just cost Helen Clark the election. READ MORE

2. Children’s Commissioner Misleads Public - Again
Family First Media Release 29 October 2008
Family First NZ says that the Children’s Commissioner has knowingly misled the public on child abuse statistics, but that it is not first time that she has done so. In a Sunday Star Times article last year, Dr Cindy Kiro said that 88 children were killed in a five year period. These were repeated in a Dominion Post article this year on Dr Kiro. But blogger Lindsay Mitchell has obtained an admission from Dr Kiro under the Official Information Act that the figures are inaccurate, and that the real figure was 35.
“Despite the gross inaccuracy of the figures, Dr Kiro allowed them to be republished in an interview a year after the first incorrect report and despite being aware of the misrepresentation,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “On such an important issue which it could be argued the Children’s Commissioner should be leading the debate on with facts and solutions, she has misled the public. However this is not the first time. In 2006, at the height of the anti-smacking bill debate, Dr Kiro along with Sue Bradford, EPOCH and Barnardos misrepresented the child abuse statistics from both NZ and Sweden." READ MORE
Family First Comment: Ironically, this is the same Dr Kiro who called Dr Robert Larzalere, a US expert on research on child discipline and brought to NZ by Family First, unreliable simply because he had a christian faith!

3. Obama's Abortion Extremism
by Robert George - The Witherspoon Institute October 14, 2008   
Barack Obama is the most extreme pro-abortion candidate ever to seek the office of President of the United States. READ THIS EXCELLENT ARTICLE

4. 'Horrible' sight of naked man spurs boy's protest
The Dominion Post 25 October 2008
A 10-year-old Kapiti Coast boy has launched a petition against nudity on local family beaches. Kena Kena School pupil Michael Hayward presented his 144-signature petition to Kapiti Coast District Council's regulatory and management committee after a "horrible" sighting of a man sunbathing naked on Paraparaumu Beach. The petition opposed a proposed council bylaw under which nudity would be allowed but if nudists' behaviour was deemed offensive it would be dealt with by the police. READ MORE
TAKE ACTION and join this 10-year old in protesting against the proposed change to the bylaw.  CLICK HERE for more information and to make a submission (will only take a few minutes). SUBMISSIONS CLOSE NEXT MONDAY 4pm (3 November)

5. Anti-Smacking Petition About Policy, Not Party
Family First Media Release 23 October 2008
Family First NZ is distancing itself from attempts by the Kiwi Party to write to the more than 300,000 people who signed the anti-smacking petition, encouraging them to vote for the Kiwi Party at the upcoming Election. “Family First is not a political party, and is not aligned or associated with any political party READ MORE

6. Parents to blame for behaviour
People wanting to shirk responsibility for their behaviour will be happy to learn they can blame their parents for almost half of it. READ MORE

7. Parental splits hit children hard (UK)
Children of parents who separate are four times as likely to develop emotional disorders than those in families that stay together, the Office for National Statistics said yesterday. READ MORE

In this issue 14 October 2008...
1. Prostitutes and Playschools Don't Mix
2. United Future has 'got rid of' anti-gay MPs
3. Sex and Puberty Education Is Family Territory
4. Family break-ups may lead to poverty cycle
5. Motherhood 'makes women brainier and can protect them from degenerative diseases'
6. UK School bans pupils from eating Marmite... because it 'contains too much salt'
7. Maternity services 'on low priority'

1. Prostitutes and Playschools Don't Mix
Family First Media Release 14 October 2008
Family First NZ says that the ability for a sex parlour to operate in the same building as a preschool in Wellington is evidence of how flawed the Prostitution Law is, and its complete ineffectiveness and lack of concern that it has for the welfare and protection of families. “The politicians failed to respond to concerns regarding the location of brothels in undesirable places when they decriminalised prostitution, and have left it to local councils to put restrictions in place to prevent location by schools, kindergartens, churches and playgrounds,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “Local councils have then found themselves taken to court with no back up from the legislation or the politicians. And yet again, the best interests of children and families are ignored.” READ MORE
Brothel shares kindy building - The Dominion Post 14 October 2008 READ MORE

2. United Future has "got rid of" anti-gay MPs
GayNZ.com 12th October 2008
WARNING: SITE NOT RECOMMENDED - CONTENT MAY OFFEND
United Future has got rid of its anti-gay MPs and is now comfortable with once-contentions legislation, such as Civil Unions, remaining in place, according to its party leader. ...In an interview with GayNZ.com which touched on United Future's reputation for being anti-gay, party leader Peter Dunne, who himself didn't vote for Civil Unions,  said: "I know that some [glbt people] may have an understandably jaundiced view of us because of past events, and I'd simply make the point that the people who were associated with some of those more extreme guises are now long since gone. We’ve moved on from that phase – we've got rid of them."
Other quotes of interest:
* Dunne says he was "a strong advocate in 1985 and '86 for the Homosexual Law Reform Bill"
* "New Zealand’s changed a lot, even since the passage of the Civil Unions legislation. I think that there are a lot of people now who were vehement opponents of that who say now: 'What was the fuss all about?'"
* Dunne sees same-sex adoption as a logical consequence of the passage of the Civil Union legislation..."My point is simply that we need to work our way through things calmly, without ramping it up to the point where all the prejudices start to come into play..I think actually society might be more ready for that now than even five years ago."
* "I think that some of these things like the Hero Parade or its successors, those events have helped break down a lot of the – I was going to say 'fears' but it's stereotypes people have. I think that’s good. I think New Zealand and its diversity is something we should be celebrating across the board"
READ FULL INTERVIEW http://www.gaynz.com/articles/publish/32/printer_6597.php (safe link)
(Note: display ad above was published during teh Civil Union debate 2003/04)

3. Sex and Puberty Education Is Family Territory
Family First Media Release 13 October 2008
NZ is rubbishing a call for sex and puberty education to be taught to children as young as eight or nine years old. “It is simply not the role of the state through the education system to be pumping this information into young children. It is the vital role of parents,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “A state run system ignores the maturity of the child, the values of the family, and the uniqueness of each child to learn the material at the right time for them. Parents are far better at judging this.” READ MORE
Early puberty causes school sex education 'national crisis' Sunday Star Times 12 October 2008 READ MORE

4. Family break-ups may lead to poverty cycle
The Age (Aust) October 14, 2008
FAMILY breakdown is contributing to child poverty according to an Australian governmental report. READ MORE

5. Motherhood 'makes women brainier and can protect them from degenerative diseases'
Daily Mail (UK) 12th October 2008
Becoming a mother 'remodels' the female brain giving lifelong improvement in mental agility and protection against degenerative diseases, scientists have found. READ MORE
Family First Comment: Yay! Go mums!!! Does that mean that a mum with three kids is three times brainier than her husband????

6. UK School bans pupils from eating Marmite... because it 'contains too much salt'
Daily Mail (UK) 9 Oct 2008
It was a decision that left a bad taste in the mouth - a school has banned its pupils from eating Marmite because it contains too much salt READ MORE
Family First Comment: But high sugar jam is ok!! 'Nanny state' is alive and well in the UK as well as NZ!!

In this issue (23 September 2008)...
1. Feedback on beach nudity 'too hot to handle'
2. By day a teacher ... by night a prostitute
3. MP's survey shows concerns - and opposition to anti-smacking law
4. Parliament's 'Rainbow Room' to recognise gay contribution

 
Download the accompanying Pamphlet (2.2mb)

1. Feedback on beach nudity 'too hot to handle'
The Dominion Post 22 September 2008
Kapiti Coast District Council's e-mail system crashed because it could not handle all the complaints it fielded over its suggestion of allowing nude sunbathing on its beaches. Councillor Tony Jack said he believed it had been the hottest issue the council had to face for some time. ...The hundreds of e-mails the council received on the topic had crashed its e-mail system. Council chief executive Pat Dougherty said there was a lot of concern in the community and he wanted to stress that the council was not promoting nudity in its draft beach bylaw. Submissions on it close on October 24. READ MORE
Family First Comment - the power of the voice for families! Thank you to all those who emailed and complained. Please visit our Action Alert page on this issue to find out more details on how you can make a simple and quick submission opposing this proposed bylaw change. You can also view Family First's submission to the Council. Go to http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/index.cfm/Action_Alert/Kapiti_Coast_Nudity_Bylaw 

The Dominion Post contained an Op-Ed from Linley Boniface (who? - yeah, that's what we said too) regarding the proposed Nudity bylaw.
"...That hasn't discouraged the nation's chief fun-spoiler, Family First national director Bob McCoskrie, from poking his nose in. "Once again, the protection of families and the welfare of our children are being cast aside in fav