Claire Achmad: Children's Commissioner on Dear Children campaign against child abuse and homicide

A push to get Kiwis talking about systemic issues leading to child abuse.

The Dear Children campaign has launched today - with a letter to kids and parents countrywide, focusing on preventing all forms of child maltreatment

Children's Commissioner Claire Achmad says child homicide cannot be ignored.

She told Ryan Bridge on average, one child is killed every five weeks, but it's not too late for change, so eventually children will grow up in New Zealand feeling safe.

She says it starts with awareness.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Bread Children's Commissioner is launching a campaign against child homicide.
The Commissioner has written a letter directly to the country's
one point two to three million children and asking adults
to sign it. Doctor Clair Auchmand is the Children's Commissioner
and joins me, Now, good evening, right, good to have
you on the show. So what was the what's driving

(00:22):
this and particularly at this time of year, is this
a bad time of year for child abuse and child homicide?

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Today I've launched a new nationwide campaign that's called Dear Children,
and it is a message to all children in our
country that they have a right to be safe. And
I'm calling on all adults in New Zealand to actually
protect that right for children and to do that fiercely,
because the reality is that not all children are growing
up safe in our country. Children, often very young, they

(00:54):
are dying by homicide in our country. It shouldn't be
this way, and we shouldn't let it happen in world.
In fact we want is the message that I'm sending
through this campaign. And in terms of the timing, Liane,
you asked about why now that's intentional. Last year, over
the Christmas and New Year period, two children were killed
by homicide, and we have seen throughout the year more

(01:17):
children die in this way. We know that this time
of year, coming up to Christmas and across the New
Year and holidays, can be a really stressful time. And
so I'm reminding all people in New Zealand to do
more to look out for children in their communities.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
Claire, who are you talking to specifically, because you know
parents who abuse, violently abuse their children and who kill
their children. I don't imagine we'll be reading a letter
from the Children's Commissioner. Is this to the neighbors who
are listening to abuse?

Speaker 2 (01:49):
Well, actually, this message is for all adults in New
Zealand because we need a national conversation about this difficult truth,
which is that not all children are growing up safe
in our country and we need a national commitment and
that starts with change at the grassroots level, flax roots
in our communities. As you say, for neighbors, family members,

(02:12):
community members, to look out for children, to be alongside
families and far no, especially when they're facing stress, to
actually make it okay and normal, to for help, for help.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
I don't think anyone's going to disagree with you. It's
awful our reputation and our statistics. But we've had this
conversation so many times and nothing seems to change.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
Well, we have attempted to have this conversation in the past, Ryan,
But what I have noticed in my work as Children's
Commissioner when I meet communities around the country and when
I share with them, for example, the reality that on
average every four to five weeks, one child in our
country is killed on average by homicide, and that over

(02:59):
the past decade, one hundred and thirteen children have been
killed by Homo saide. When I share that reality with
people and communities up and down the country, I've noticed
that actually they're quite shocked about that. And so that's
why this campaign Dear Children is first and foremost about
bringing awareness to this problem, because collectively we first of

(03:20):
all need to understand it is a problem, and then
I hope we can really work together on that wikle
of change to prevent this from hap.

Speaker 1 (03:28):
What is your message, Not that they will be listening
to this, but to any parent right now who's violently
abusing their child, what do you want to say to them?

Speaker 2 (03:37):
My message to all adults in New Zealand is that
all children have a right to be safe, that children
should be safe and protected in all circumstances.

Speaker 1 (03:48):
You're sorry, interrupted if.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
You're facing stress right now is a parent and thinking
that you are going to turn to violence, there is
another way. I encourage you to reach out for help,
because help is there and we must get more okay
with asking for help and with offering help.

Speaker 1 (04:06):
Okay, I think some people listening might be wondering why
you're addressing it to all parents. You know, is there
something wrong with saying to a parent who's abusing their
child stop it?

Speaker 2 (04:18):
I really absolutely not. We need to be alongside all
parents to and including parents who are struggling to offer
that help and support. But also we need a whole
of society culture change around this issue. So that's why
I'm putting this message out to all New Zealand adults.
Because if we are serious about making a real change

(04:42):
on becoming a country where every child is growing up safe,
then that is going to take each and every one
of us. This is preventable and we can all play
our parts. So I encourage all people to go to
the dedicated campaign website there Children dot co dot NZB
show their support bought by signing this letter with me

(05:02):
and be part of this change together.

Speaker 1 (05:05):
Doctor clear Akman, who's the Children's Commissioner, appreciate your time
Tonight

Speaker 2 (05:08):
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