The outdoor lifestyle, political stability, lack of terrorist threat and generally caring attitude of New Zealand provides an ideal environment for raising children. Many New Zealanders have returned recently from overseas because they want their children to grow up happy and confident, and… read more

The Domestic Violence Act beefed up protection for children (see also Hitting children – section 59 in this publication). Children under 17 can apply for protection orders in their own right through a representative. A child can also be included in their parent’s application for a… read more

The Domestic Violence Act 1995 marked a new era in dealing with family violence when it came into force in 1996. It overhauled the Domestic Protection Act 1982 and set out how victims of family violence could obtain protection orders. Protection orders A protection order is precisely that… read more

New Zealanders have been horrified in recent years by several widely publicised accounts of children dying in gruesome circumstances that almost defy imagining. But the death of a four-year-old in 1999 was a catalyst for action. . . . James’s story Riri-o-te-Rangi (James) Whakaruru was… read more

Our children are our future, and we have the awesome responsibility of being their guardians. Parenting is also a lot of fun, if we allow it to be. Often we feel powerless to change behaviour that we see as “bad”, or we feel frustrated at children who won’t “do what they’re told”. However,… read more

Abuse and neglect of children in the family is a serious, ongoing problem in New Zealand. High profile cases are greeted with revulsion by most parents, but they still occur with uncomfortable regularity. Abuse is not usually random, but occurring on a regular basis that gets worse over… read more

Just as violence towards women is hugely under-reported, violence inflicted on men by women is also an often untold story. Men also sometimes feel as if they can’t talk about it when it happens and they can feel helpless to do anything because it might not be believed. However, an… read more

Drugs can be good, bad and ugly. We sometimes need the good drugs to help fight illness or ease our physical and emotional pain. They are made to a standard that is monitored and we know what we are getting. They result from painstaking development over many years. The labelling is on the… read more

The New Zealand Government’s drug policy is based on harm minimisation. This is aimed at reducing drug-related harm to the community and individual drug users. Ways of doing that include encouraging non-use, through to providing the means for users to use drugs with fewer risks. Remember:… read more

Methamphetamine is a powerfully addictive Class A drug. It is closely related to amphetamines, but has a greater effect on the central nervous system. It works by releasing the brain chemical dopamine, stimulating brain cells, enhancing mood and body movement. Methamphetamine is a… read more