Action on child crime urged

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33034, 29 September 1972, Page 10

Action on child crime urged

Strong support for steps to curb child crime and increasing behaviour problems among New Zealand children was given yesterday by the annual conference in Christchurch of the Education Boards’ Association.

Discussion on the problem followed a remit placed before the conference by the Canterbury Education Board, which last year became the first Education Board in New Zealand to initiate community discussions on the causes behind the rising child crime rate and increasing truancy among children. The Canterbury proposals, which were given unanimous support, seek to have an expansion of the various services — such as visiting teachers and the Department of Education’s Psychological Service — which deal with child problems, and the provision of adequate training facilities for those involved in this work. HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

Unless the problems of es-l tablishing healthy and close human relationships were solved in a child’s early years, there was little chance of coping with the problems caused later by loneliness, fear, frustration, poor family relationships, and lack of academic progress. It was more important that schools tackle human-rela-tionship problems and human values than to worry over school buildings, said Mr R. Hoggard (Auckland). “We have created a nation! of children with no real i moral responsibility — the parents have failed in their duty, and so it is up to schools and other services to help,” Mr Hoggard said. “The important job of living with and loving one’s neighbour just has to be taught.” Mr P. R. Morrison (South! Auckland) said that the pub-i lie attitude about problem! children was that they needed "a bloody good hiding.” Legislators knew this attitude.

and so favoured a corrective stand. ’This is wrong. We should press for a more enlightened view,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr W. Eggelton, a Timaru psychologist and psychiatric social worker, said that he agreed with the Education Boards that New Zealand was facing a situation of crisis in the number of young people who were leading unfulfilled lives. Teachers, he said, had a vital role to play, working with parents and supporting services. No one area could be separated, but all must work in conjunction to help young pupils, present parents, and future parents to realise the importance of warm human relationships. “ILL INFORMED” If this was not done, and if the community did not accept its responsibility — as the Education Boards were attempting to do — then the nation’s future would see more and more young people disillusioned and frustrated.

Many New Zealanders were ill informed on the danger signs of child crime and problem behaviour; and this included many teachers as well as parents, Mr Eggelton said.

“A teacher’s mental health is important, too, as he is constantly having to become dramatically sensitive to a child’s personal behaviour,” he said. “No curriculum will be successful if the teacher is under stress.”