Children at risk from stepdads [trigger warning for discussion of child abuse]
In the wake of Serenity Scott-Dinnington's death, we examine the safety of children raised by men who are not their real fathers. Sarah Harvey reports.
BABY SERENITY Scott-Dinnington died from brain injuries sustained during a violent incident at her home in Ngaruawahia 10 days ago. She was just six months old.
Now child advocates say that raising a young child with a man who is not its father increases the risk of the child being violently assaulted.
Some have gone as far as claiming that raising a child with its biological father "virtually guarantees the child won't die", but substitute the father for another man and you risk harm to the child.
Young men, rather than women, are over-represented in child abuse statistics, despite women usually being the primary carers.
Last year 125 men aged between 17 and 30 were arrested for assault on a child and another 10 for using a weapon. For women, the numbers were 59 and five respectively.
Hamilton-based Child Matters chief executive Anthea Simcock said anecdotal evidence showed incidents of abuse were perpetrated by women as the lead carers, but when children were seriously injured it was more often by physically stronger men.
Simcock said there was a "heap" of research that identified children who were living with an unrelated adult were at increased risk.
A report from the children's commissioner in 2009 showed of 57 under-five child homicide deaths from 1991-2000 the father was the perpetrator 18 times, the mother 14 times, and a defacto partner 25 times.
The risk from non-biological fathers, Simcock said, could be attributed to the lack of bonding between adult and child.
Another factor was a lack of impulse control. "That is significant. We have three times as many males as females hurting children. Families are aware of that, and aware that some young people are struggling to deal with children."
Simcock said it was hard to know if the level of violence was getting worse, but there were certainly more children living with adults who were not their biological parents than 20 or 30 years ago. Father and Child Trust Auckland support worker Brendon Smith said biological fathers were "virtually a guarantee the child won't die".
He said as well as the child's welfare, that of the mother, was improved by having the father involved in the child's life.
Fathers needed to be taught parenting skills as much as mothers, but were often ignored because the mother was seen as the caregiver. The trust was putting together a "very tiny version of the teen mum network" in Auckland, he said.
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Smith said skills that were being taught to young mothers, such as how to care for their child and deal with issues, needed to be taught to both parents.
If you have concerns about a child you can phone anonymously on 0508 FAMILY or 111 in an emergency. The Families Commission is holding a forum, 50 Key Thinkers, in Wellington on Wednesday on how to address family wellbeing within a constrained economic environment. Chief commissioner Carl Davidson said it was about bringing some of the most innovative "social thinkers" together.
Source: Sunday Star Times via Stuff.co.nz
This whole article is so gross. Mothers, don't leave your husband/partner/boyfriend/whatever EVER, you'll be damaging your child's welfare! Also, you better not get into another relationship EVER (or at least until your child moves out of home) - you'll be increasing your child's risk of being violently assaulted! (And it's not like being a single mother makes it hard enough to be in a relationship...)
Also, what the fuck at "biological fathers are 'virtually a guarantee the child won't die'." Just... what the fuck. No.
BABY SERENITY Scott-Dinnington died from brain injuries sustained during a violent incident at her home in Ngaruawahia 10 days ago. She was just six months old.
Now child advocates say that raising a young child with a man who is not its father increases the risk of the child being violently assaulted.
Some have gone as far as claiming that raising a child with its biological father "virtually guarantees the child won't die", but substitute the father for another man and you risk harm to the child.
Young men, rather than women, are over-represented in child abuse statistics, despite women usually being the primary carers.
Last year 125 men aged between 17 and 30 were arrested for assault on a child and another 10 for using a weapon. For women, the numbers were 59 and five respectively.
Hamilton-based Child Matters chief executive Anthea Simcock said anecdotal evidence showed incidents of abuse were perpetrated by women as the lead carers, but when children were seriously injured it was more often by physically stronger men.
Simcock said there was a "heap" of research that identified children who were living with an unrelated adult were at increased risk.
A report from the children's commissioner in 2009 showed of 57 under-five child homicide deaths from 1991-2000 the father was the perpetrator 18 times, the mother 14 times, and a defacto partner 25 times.
The risk from non-biological fathers, Simcock said, could be attributed to the lack of bonding between adult and child.
Another factor was a lack of impulse control. "That is significant. We have three times as many males as females hurting children. Families are aware of that, and aware that some young people are struggling to deal with children."
Simcock said it was hard to know if the level of violence was getting worse, but there were certainly more children living with adults who were not their biological parents than 20 or 30 years ago. Father and Child Trust Auckland support worker Brendon Smith said biological fathers were "virtually a guarantee the child won't die".
He said as well as the child's welfare, that of the mother, was improved by having the father involved in the child's life.
Fathers needed to be taught parenting skills as much as mothers, but were often ignored because the mother was seen as the caregiver. The trust was putting together a "very tiny version of the teen mum network" in Auckland, he said.
Ad Feedback
Smith said skills that were being taught to young mothers, such as how to care for their child and deal with issues, needed to be taught to both parents.
If you have concerns about a child you can phone anonymously on 0508 FAMILY or 111 in an emergency. The Families Commission is holding a forum, 50 Key Thinkers, in Wellington on Wednesday on how to address family wellbeing within a constrained economic environment. Chief commissioner Carl Davidson said it was about bringing some of the most innovative "social thinkers" together.
Source: Sunday Star Times via Stuff.co.nz
This whole article is so gross. Mothers, don't leave your husband/partner/boyfriend/whatever EVER, you'll be damaging your child's welfare! Also, you better not get into another relationship EVER (or at least until your child moves out of home) - you'll be increasing your child's risk of being violently assaulted! (And it's not like being a single mother makes it hard enough to be in a relationship...)
Also, what the fuck at "biological fathers are 'virtually a guarantee the child won't die'." Just... what the fuck. No.