Friday, April 02, 2004

New Zealand News - NZ - Police to quiz 50 boys over CYF abuse claim

CYF Abuse Claims

Headlines about abuses in a CYF home have attracted police attention and investigation, as they must. CYF homes sometimes represent the taste of what is to come for the wayward young people who seek a career in crime.

The kids involved may be violent or extremely troublesome themselves. Controlling or teaching them real world values is an extraordinarily difficult task in a world that seems to reward wealth before effort, that seems to reward those who have versus those who admire those who have big flashy cars or sport the latest fashion trends in game boy expertise. Today's badge of honour costs a lot of money, and to fit in, children from low income homes are increasingly exposed to the dilemmas of life at an increasingly earlier age.

Does our society have a problem? Yes. Is this problem being addressed? CYFs was created to address these kinds of problems. Is it effective? Have we ever read of a success story of a child or family that CYFS has helped?

No, we read of the queue of 6,000 children waiting for CYFS services or intervention. 6,000 criminal debutantes in waiting or kids in abusive situations?

We read of CYFS failures. We read of the adminstration failures. We read about Coral Burrows. Her murder, but a coldhearted drug addicted step father highlighted a failure by CYFS. But it also highlighted a failure of police to control methamphetamine distribution. It also highlighted a failure inherent in our modern families where justice means violence and rights mean a right to abuse.

CYFS is not an evil organisation. How many case workers are superb or achieve in this unrewarding occupation of dealing with wayward children or "parents" who have no business being any where near children?

Future govenments in New Zealand will have to create a stronger CYFS regime with more talented staff. And address the problems that are creating a class of children who seem to reject social values at increasingly early ages.

A lack of moral consequence is the problem. Beating up children is not a moral consequence but a symptom of an over pressured social service hiring the wrong individuals. That it reflects on the entire department is devastating and very unfortunate.

New Zealand News - NZ - Police to quiz 50 boys over CYF abuse claim

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