EPOCH (End Physical Punishment of Children) NZ Inc was a New Zealand organisation founded in 1998 to promote violence-free parenting and to campaign for the removal of the legal defence of "reasonable force" for parents prosecuted for assault on their children. The law, known as "section 59 of the Crimes Act", was changed in 2007 to remove the defence. EPOCH NZ monitored parental attitudes and behaviour following the law change until 2017 when EPOCH NZ was wound up.
History
editSweden 1979 and Nordic countries check Joan DURRANT
Jane and James Ritchie - research and advocacy 1970s and 1980s
IPSCAN meeting in Dublin
Peter Newell EPOCH UK
EPOCH Worldwide
Children's Rights Campaign Trust established by a group who wanted to set up an advocacy group
https://app.businessregisters.govt.nz/sber-businesses/viewInstance/view.html?id=229a78e05307b6d8bf1b29667f00cb17361c9f02aa684e8c&_timestamp=1094128272314929 [1] p37, p114
https://ec.europa.eu/justice/grants/results/daphne-toolkit/content/epoch-worldwide_en
Robert Ludbrook paid for the PO Box
Objectives
editTake from Trust Deed
Structure, membership and funding
editStructure
editEPOCH NZ was a registered charitable trust.[2]
Volunteers
editEPOCH NZ trustees were volunteers for the most part, but from time to time specialist work was required for which modest fees were paid. Volunteers had different levels of commitment, skills and available time. Several of the founding trustees remained active within the organisation throughout its existence. In 2009, founder member and spokesperson Beth Wood was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to children and young people.[3]
Funding
editThe organisation received funding from a small number of agencies including:
- JR McKenzie Trust
- Copyright fees from the publication Choose to Hug
- Lotteries funding for educational material
- The Think Tank Charitable Trust[4]
Supporters
editRobert Ludbrook
The Body Shop
Network of Supporters (find name of this network)
Research
editOriginal Research
Check who did these
UMR survey in 2013
| "Just who do we think children are?" Debski, Russell and Buckley | PDF (428KBytes) |
| “The Impact of A TV programme on attitudes to physical punishment” Beth Wood and Sue Buckley | PDF (37KBytes) |
| Views of parents who don't smack | PDF (40KBytes) |
| "Physical punishment in the home in New Zealand" Dr Gabrielle Maxwell, Sept 1993 | Weblink to abstract |
| "The Effects of Sweden's Ban on Physical Punishment" Goran Hakansson, May 2004 | PDF (442 KBytes) |
Other academic research
editGeneral statement about body of international research and maybe link to website.
Master's Thesis- Jenny Brobst [5]
International Links
editUK
editEPOCH Worldwide (Global Initiative)
Children are Unbeatable
Chris Dodd: Church Network for Non-violence: http://churchesfornon-violence.org/wp/?page_id=4
EPOCH UK
Canada
editRepeal 43 Campaign https://www.repeal43.org/about-us/
Professor Joan Durrant[6]
Australia
editEPOCH Australia: short-lived organisation
Activities
editIn 2005, a Bill was drawn from the Member's Bill Ballot in the name of Green MP Sue Bradford. Its original title was Crimes (Abolition of Force as a Justification for Child Discipline) Amendment Bill.
EPOCH supported the Bill and advocated for its passing into law.
After intense public campaigning by all sides, the bill was passed at its Third Reading on 16 May 2007 by 113 votes to eight. The Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act 2007 came into effect on 21 June 2007.
A citizens-initiated referendum on the issues surrounding the law was held between 30 July and 21 August 2009, asking "Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?" EPOCH NZ joined a coalition of organisations called The Yes Vote. There was widespread criticism of the question's wording. The referendum results were 87.4% voting "No" XX% voting Yes with a voter turnout of 56.1%. EPOCH NZ continued to keep a watching brief on political developments. A Member's Bill aimed at re-introducing a statutory defence into the Crimes Act was defeated in September 2010.
A Voice for Change ISBN 0-86469-459-8
Publications and Research Reports
edit- Choose to Hug [7]
- Five Good Reasons series to be lodged Nat Library
- Five Good Reasons not to Hit your Children
- Five Good Reasons why...
- ECPAT
See also
editEPOCH website: epochnz.org.nz
Unreasonable Force by Beth Wood, Ian Hassall, George Hook with Robert Ludbrook[1]
Video interview with Sue Bradford
Video interview with Beth Wood
Video Interview with Jane Ritchie
Jenny Brobst :The Parental Discipline Defense in New Zealand: The Potential Impact of Reform in Civil Proceedings[5]
References
edit- ^ a b Wood, Beth; Hassall, Ian; Ludbrook, Robert (2008). Hook, George (ed.). Unreasonable Force: New Zealand's journey towards banning the physical punishment of children. Wellington, New Zealand: Save the Children New Zealand. ISBN 9780473130954.
- ^ "Charities Services | Home". register.charities.govt.nz. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ "New Year Honours List 2009". New Year Honours List 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ "Charities Services | Home". register.charities.govt.nz. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Editors --- "Law Theses, Masters and Honours Papers 2000-2001" [2003] VUWLawRw 7; (2003) 34 Victoria University of Wellington Law Review 167". www.nzlii.org. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ "University of Manitoba, Arthur V. Mauro Institute for Peace & Justice at St. Paul's College". University of Manitoba. 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Choose to Hug". Office of the Commissioner for Children. 1 June 2008. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)