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The Impact of a Television Documentary on Attitudes to Physical Punishment.


 

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Author

Beth Wood, Sue Buckley

Speaker

Sue Buckley

Organisation

EPOCH, Wellington
In March 2005 a New Zealand father was found guilty of assault on a child following an incident where he hit the child on the buttocks with bare hands causing bruising.  Advocates for repeal of Section 59 of the Crimes Act 1961 regarded the finding as significant because jury decisions often protect parents who have used physical punishment, even when injuries are sustained.  A television documentary promoted the views of both an advocate for the repeal of Section 59 and people who warned that if the law were changed 'average' parents would be at risk of prosecution.  It also promoted the views of an advocate opposed to the use of physical punishment and a parent who saw smacking as an essential part of child rearing.

The aim in this paper is to develop our understanding of the impact a media presentation of the physical punishment debate had on viewers.

A survey of about 15 teacher trainees was undertaken. The students were asked a number of questions before and after viewing a videotape of the programme concerning the impact the documentary might have made to their views on the physical punishment debate.

The issues the paper reports on are:

  • What were the views of the students on smacking as part of discipline before they viewed this videotape?
  • Did their views change after viewing the videotape? If so, in what way?
  • What was their understanding of the implications of a repeal of Section 59 before viewing the videotape?
  • Did their understanding or views of the debate on the use of physical punishment change after viewing this videotape?  If changed - in what way?
  • What aspect of the videotape made the biggest impact on them - and why?

Results from this small survey will inform efforts to change public opinion about physical punishment. As the programme presents both sides of the issue, it is difficult to predict how viewing the programme will affect their positions on physical punishment or on the repeal of Section 59. However, because of the way the material is presented, there is likely to be some development in the views of students who have not thought much about these issues, and for others it will be interesting to investigate whether or not their views became hardened on either side of the debate.

Presentation

Paper

Biography

Beth Wood is Advocacy Manager for UNICEF New Zealand and is a spokesperson for EPOCH New Zealand.  She has been involved with campaigning to discourage the use of physical punishment for over ten years.  Reducing violence to children is a key aspect of her work.  Her interest in changing attitudes about physical discipline arises from awareness of the link between physical punishment and child abuse, and promoting children's human rights. Beth's background is in social work, social policy and advocacy.