30 Nov 2016
Child Abuse and Family Structure
The Conservative Party of New Zealand welcomes the report from Lindsay Mitchell on Child Abuse & Family Structure.
Whilst the report only confirms what we were already aware of, that family structure is vitally important to the welfare
of children, we hope that it will initiate discussion and bring change in the way we promote families.
Absentee fathers, multiple partners and uncommitted relationships are killing our children and it is time that we grew
up as a nation and started promoting committed, exclusive relationships as the optimal place to raise children.
Lindsay Mitchell states “The growth of child abuse has accompanied a reduction in marriage and an increase in cohabiting
or single-parent families.”
She also found that “The risk of abuse for children whose parent / caregiver had spent more than 80% of the last five
years on a benefit was 38 times greater than for those with no benefit history. Most children included in a benefit
appear with a single parent or caregiver”
“If we, as a nation, are serious about combating child abuse, then we need to promote stable committed relationships,
hand ups not hand outs, and recognise personal responsibilities must come before personal rights,” says party spokesman
Leighton Baker.
Ends