Foreword
We are very pleased to be able to include in Issue 27 four papers based on keynote addresses to the 10th Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect (ACCAN), hosted by the Ministry of Social Development, the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services, and the Children’s Commissioner.
The plenary speakers included here were very generous in submitting their papers far enough in advance so that they could be refereed in time for this issue. We look forward to publishing some more papers based on ACCAN keynote addresses and presentations in Issue 28.
The four ACCAN papers cover many levels of work and understanding of child abuse and neglect. Anna Pinto’s paper helps the reader to understand the systemic nature of violence against children. Anne B. Smith surveys the literature on the impact of physical punishment on children.
The paper by Charles Waldegrave provides a comparison between the Continental European and Anglo-American approaches to child protection, and explores the implications for practice in New Zealand . Four representatives of the Youth Council of the Care to Independence Programme, “Jane Smith”, Renee Kumar, Kenneth Nicholson and Janelle Kumar, draw on their personal experience of the care system to identify key issues for improving it.
Two more papers deal with children and young people. Tim McCreanor, Peter D. Watson and Simon J. Denny discuss their findings on how young Pakeha interact with their families, and the implications for health promotion.
The paper by Belinda Reeve explores the split in perspectives on children’s accidents – micro-level causes (such as individual behaviour and the immediate environment) and macro-level causes (social structural issues) – and how this influences policy work in the various departments concerned.
Three papers in this issue deal with older people. Judith Davey and Mary Davies consider the sorts of reciprocal adaptations required to expand and intensify the participation of mature workers in the labour force.
A second paper by Judith Davey covers the findings of her qualitative research on older homeowners and how they manage their lives and homes so they can “age in place”. Retirement villages are a new place in which to age, and Bevan C. Grant argues for their role as a useful alternative.
Three further papers address a range of policy issues. Neil Lunt discusses policy developments for Sickness and Invalid’s Benefits and the key issues that will determine their success. The concept of fuel poverty and its application to New Zealand homes is at the centre of Bob Lloyd’s paper. Debiprosad Majumdar’s paper scans the literature on collaboration across government agencies as a service delivery strategy.
In a research paper that focuses on methodological issues, Ross Phillips argues that active consumer participation in mental health research can produce better and more ethical research.
Issue 27 is rounded out with two book reviews: Karen Baehler assesses a collection of papers edited by Peter Saunders and James Walters, Ideas and Influence: Social Science and Public Policy in Australia; and New Rights New Zealand: Myths, Moralities and Markets by Dolores Janiewski and Paul Morris is reviewed by Christine Cheyne.
I hope you enjoy reading Issue 27.
Marcel Lauzière
Deputy Chief Executive
Social Development Policy and Knowledge
