in response

http://www.mayormichael.co.nz/columns/070727-sst-abuse.html

I was browsing through the internet when I came across this opinion article. I thought it was remarkably ironic, especially as the views were coming from a white, influential upper-middle-class man, the arrogant dominant faction from every perspective. He appears to think that he stands on moral high ground with regards to this issue.

Personally, I feel this is blatant discrimination against the Maori population as a whole. Child abuse, sure, a topic that makes all participants cringe, is nevertheless a phenomenon found in many cultures. It cannot be directly attributed to 'being Maori'. There are a variety of reasons that lead to child abuse, and race is definitely not a pre-requisite for violent behaviour. Every person, who is in their right state of mind, would condemn the violence towards children.

Child abuse is often under-reported, as with crimes related to domestic violence, because people are afraid of the statement that these actions makes on the overall image of a society. Keeping in mind that there are no full-blooded Maori people alive in New Zealand, wouldn't child abuse be strongly related to white Pakeha culture too?

If child abuse rates in within the Maori are remarkably high, as some people claim, authorities and governments should be looking into the causes of this behaviour, such as unemployment, under-education, and substance abuse. There is no question that intoxication produces [usually unsavoury] effects on the nervous system that differ from a normal, sober brain.

The laws have been tightened on child abuse, but the rates have not decreased. Why? The law-abiding parents are being pushed into a corner by the new restrictions in regards to child discipline, while the ones whom the original legislation was targeted at have simply ignored the consequences.

Blaming the entire Maori race is not the solution. What needs to be addressed is the deeply-rooted issue of alcohol abuse present in contemporary New Zealand society, not to mention the very distinct class divides that result in unequal opportunities available for people of Maori ethnicity.

People are all born with a conscience, to distinguish what's wrong or right. It is when this distinction is clouded by alcohol or an illegal substance that violence on this scale occurs I strongly believe that more limitations on alcohol/drug availability and less glamourous promotion [in the media] about the consumption of substances would reduce the current rates.

Counselling and other non-invasive methods could also be applied to parents and/or whanau with potential or past records of child abuse and associated violence. This way, there is a higher likelihood that abuse will decrease markedly, as many of the current cases are kept in the dark, practiced in seclusion and left until it is too late. Social services should be more attentive to regions prone to domestic violence, and take rapid action in removing children from dangerous home environments.

Let's not focus so much on the 'colour' of the tragical occurrences and more so on reassessing society as a whole, while implementing measures to actively address the manifest problems of racial inequality and the 'drinking culture', as opposed to dumping accusations on specific race/s.