Latest news with #QLRC
The Advertiser
19-05-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
It's time to treat children with the same respect and protection as adults
Right now, it's legal for parents to physically punish their children in Australia. This includes smacking, pinching, or even washing their mouth out with soap. While laws protect adults from physical assault, children don't have the same protection. But that could soon change. The Queensland Law Reform Commission (QLRC) is reviewing the state's criminal code and looking at ways to better protect children from physical harm. Two options are being considered - option one, repeal the defence, and option two, amend the defence. Option one would remove the law that allows "reasonable" physical punishment by parents. It would treat hitting a child the same as hitting an adult. This option includes providing parents with support and education instead of charging them with a crime for minor incidents. Option two would keep the law allowing parents to use low-level physical punishment (like a light smack) but clarify what is and isn't allowed. Research shows children who are smacked or hit are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem later in life. The Australian Child Maltreatment Study found children who were physically punished four or more times were almost twice as likely to develop anxiety or depression in young adulthood. Physical punishment affects a child's brain development, making it harder for them to manage stress and emotions. Parents might think smacking stops bad behaviour, but studies show it doesn't work in the long term. In fact, it can make children more aggressive, disobedient, and antisocial. More than 70 international studies have linked corporal punishment to increased aggression and worse behaviour. Children who are punished physically are more likely to hit others as they grow up, including their own children or partners. It teaches them that violence is a normal way to solve problems. Physical punishment breaks trust. Children who are hit by their parents can become scared, angry, or emotionally withdrawn. This weakens their bond with caregivers, making it harder to guide them positively in the future. In 2009, the Australian government estimated that the costs of corporal punishment - including medical treatment, mental health issues, and lost productivity - would reach more than $200 million between 2012 and 2022. Preventing violence saves money as well as lives. Australia is falling behind. So far, 68 countries have banned corporal punishment. New Zealand did so in 2007 and ran a national public health campaign to teach parents about non-violent discipline. Since then, child assault reports have decreased and support for smacking has dropped from 89 per cent in 1981, to 19 per cent in 2018. This shows that when laws change and parents are supported, attitudes and behaviours change, too. If Queensland repeals the legal defence for corporal punishment, it must support parents with free evidence-based parenting programs and a public health campaign to explain why the law is changing and alternatives to smacking. MORE OPINION: It must work closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and culturally diverse groups to avoid repeating past harms, and monitor whether corporal punishment is decreasing and if families are getting the help they need. Changing the law isn't about criminalising parents. It's about protecting children and guiding families toward safer, more effective ways to teach right from wrong. While option two may address concerns about over-criminalisation, it sends a mixed message about the acceptability of physical discipline. Parents need to know that any form of physical punishment can be harmful. The law should unequivocally prohibit such practices to protect children's rights and wellbeing. Many parents use smacking because they think it's the only way to get their child to behave. But there are better ways including praising good behaviour, setting clear rules, implementing fair consequences, helping children to regulate their emotions, and using time-outs or quiet moments to help children reflect. These methods build stronger relationships and help children learn self-control without fear or pain. Queensland and Australia have an opportunity to lead in child protection. The evidence is clear - corporal punishment doesn't work, and it causes harm. It's time to treat children with the same respect and protection as adults. Children deserve to feel safe in their homes. Parents deserve support to use better parenting strategies. Society benefits when we reduce violence, improve mental health, and raise resilient children. The law must change. And with the right support, families can thrive without violence. Right now, it's legal for parents to physically punish their children in Australia. This includes smacking, pinching, or even washing their mouth out with soap. While laws protect adults from physical assault, children don't have the same protection. But that could soon change. The Queensland Law Reform Commission (QLRC) is reviewing the state's criminal code and looking at ways to better protect children from physical harm. Two options are being considered - option one, repeal the defence, and option two, amend the defence. Option one would remove the law that allows "reasonable" physical punishment by parents. It would treat hitting a child the same as hitting an adult. This option includes providing parents with support and education instead of charging them with a crime for minor incidents. Option two would keep the law allowing parents to use low-level physical punishment (like a light smack) but clarify what is and isn't allowed. Research shows children who are smacked or hit are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem later in life. The Australian Child Maltreatment Study found children who were physically punished four or more times were almost twice as likely to develop anxiety or depression in young adulthood. Physical punishment affects a child's brain development, making it harder for them to manage stress and emotions. Parents might think smacking stops bad behaviour, but studies show it doesn't work in the long term. In fact, it can make children more aggressive, disobedient, and antisocial. More than 70 international studies have linked corporal punishment to increased aggression and worse behaviour. Children who are punished physically are more likely to hit others as they grow up, including their own children or partners. It teaches them that violence is a normal way to solve problems. Physical punishment breaks trust. Children who are hit by their parents can become scared, angry, or emotionally withdrawn. This weakens their bond with caregivers, making it harder to guide them positively in the future. In 2009, the Australian government estimated that the costs of corporal punishment - including medical treatment, mental health issues, and lost productivity - would reach more than $200 million between 2012 and 2022. Preventing violence saves money as well as lives. Australia is falling behind. So far, 68 countries have banned corporal punishment. New Zealand did so in 2007 and ran a national public health campaign to teach parents about non-violent discipline. Since then, child assault reports have decreased and support for smacking has dropped from 89 per cent in 1981, to 19 per cent in 2018. This shows that when laws change and parents are supported, attitudes and behaviours change, too. If Queensland repeals the legal defence for corporal punishment, it must support parents with free evidence-based parenting programs and a public health campaign to explain why the law is changing and alternatives to smacking. MORE OPINION: It must work closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and culturally diverse groups to avoid repeating past harms, and monitor whether corporal punishment is decreasing and if families are getting the help they need. Changing the law isn't about criminalising parents. It's about protecting children and guiding families toward safer, more effective ways to teach right from wrong. While option two may address concerns about over-criminalisation, it sends a mixed message about the acceptability of physical discipline. Parents need to know that any form of physical punishment can be harmful. The law should unequivocally prohibit such practices to protect children's rights and wellbeing. Many parents use smacking because they think it's the only way to get their child to behave. But there are better ways including praising good behaviour, setting clear rules, implementing fair consequences, helping children to regulate their emotions, and using time-outs or quiet moments to help children reflect. These methods build stronger relationships and help children learn self-control without fear or pain. Queensland and Australia have an opportunity to lead in child protection. The evidence is clear - corporal punishment doesn't work, and it causes harm. It's time to treat children with the same respect and protection as adults. Children deserve to feel safe in their homes. Parents deserve support to use better parenting strategies. Society benefits when we reduce violence, improve mental health, and raise resilient children. The law must change. And with the right support, families can thrive without violence. Right now, it's legal for parents to physically punish their children in Australia. This includes smacking, pinching, or even washing their mouth out with soap. While laws protect adults from physical assault, children don't have the same protection. But that could soon change. The Queensland Law Reform Commission (QLRC) is reviewing the state's criminal code and looking at ways to better protect children from physical harm. Two options are being considered - option one, repeal the defence, and option two, amend the defence. Option one would remove the law that allows "reasonable" physical punishment by parents. It would treat hitting a child the same as hitting an adult. This option includes providing parents with support and education instead of charging them with a crime for minor incidents. Option two would keep the law allowing parents to use low-level physical punishment (like a light smack) but clarify what is and isn't allowed. Research shows children who are smacked or hit are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem later in life. The Australian Child Maltreatment Study found children who were physically punished four or more times were almost twice as likely to develop anxiety or depression in young adulthood. Physical punishment affects a child's brain development, making it harder for them to manage stress and emotions. Parents might think smacking stops bad behaviour, but studies show it doesn't work in the long term. In fact, it can make children more aggressive, disobedient, and antisocial. More than 70 international studies have linked corporal punishment to increased aggression and worse behaviour. Children who are punished physically are more likely to hit others as they grow up, including their own children or partners. It teaches them that violence is a normal way to solve problems. Physical punishment breaks trust. Children who are hit by their parents can become scared, angry, or emotionally withdrawn. This weakens their bond with caregivers, making it harder to guide them positively in the future. In 2009, the Australian government estimated that the costs of corporal punishment - including medical treatment, mental health issues, and lost productivity - would reach more than $200 million between 2012 and 2022. Preventing violence saves money as well as lives. Australia is falling behind. So far, 68 countries have banned corporal punishment. New Zealand did so in 2007 and ran a national public health campaign to teach parents about non-violent discipline. Since then, child assault reports have decreased and support for smacking has dropped from 89 per cent in 1981, to 19 per cent in 2018. This shows that when laws change and parents are supported, attitudes and behaviours change, too. If Queensland repeals the legal defence for corporal punishment, it must support parents with free evidence-based parenting programs and a public health campaign to explain why the law is changing and alternatives to smacking. MORE OPINION: It must work closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and culturally diverse groups to avoid repeating past harms, and monitor whether corporal punishment is decreasing and if families are getting the help they need. Changing the law isn't about criminalising parents. It's about protecting children and guiding families toward safer, more effective ways to teach right from wrong. While option two may address concerns about over-criminalisation, it sends a mixed message about the acceptability of physical discipline. Parents need to know that any form of physical punishment can be harmful. The law should unequivocally prohibit such practices to protect children's rights and wellbeing. Many parents use smacking because they think it's the only way to get their child to behave. But there are better ways including praising good behaviour, setting clear rules, implementing fair consequences, helping children to regulate their emotions, and using time-outs or quiet moments to help children reflect. These methods build stronger relationships and help children learn self-control without fear or pain. Queensland and Australia have an opportunity to lead in child protection. The evidence is clear - corporal punishment doesn't work, and it causes harm. It's time to treat children with the same respect and protection as adults. Children deserve to feel safe in their homes. Parents deserve support to use better parenting strategies. Society benefits when we reduce violence, improve mental health, and raise resilient children. The law must change. And with the right support, families can thrive without violence. Right now, it's legal for parents to physically punish their children in Australia. This includes smacking, pinching, or even washing their mouth out with soap. While laws protect adults from physical assault, children don't have the same protection. But that could soon change. The Queensland Law Reform Commission (QLRC) is reviewing the state's criminal code and looking at ways to better protect children from physical harm. Two options are being considered - option one, repeal the defence, and option two, amend the defence. Option one would remove the law that allows "reasonable" physical punishment by parents. It would treat hitting a child the same as hitting an adult. This option includes providing parents with support and education instead of charging them with a crime for minor incidents. Option two would keep the law allowing parents to use low-level physical punishment (like a light smack) but clarify what is and isn't allowed. Research shows children who are smacked or hit are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem later in life. The Australian Child Maltreatment Study found children who were physically punished four or more times were almost twice as likely to develop anxiety or depression in young adulthood. Physical punishment affects a child's brain development, making it harder for them to manage stress and emotions. Parents might think smacking stops bad behaviour, but studies show it doesn't work in the long term. In fact, it can make children more aggressive, disobedient, and antisocial. More than 70 international studies have linked corporal punishment to increased aggression and worse behaviour. Children who are punished physically are more likely to hit others as they grow up, including their own children or partners. It teaches them that violence is a normal way to solve problems. Physical punishment breaks trust. Children who are hit by their parents can become scared, angry, or emotionally withdrawn. This weakens their bond with caregivers, making it harder to guide them positively in the future. In 2009, the Australian government estimated that the costs of corporal punishment - including medical treatment, mental health issues, and lost productivity - would reach more than $200 million between 2012 and 2022. Preventing violence saves money as well as lives. Australia is falling behind. So far, 68 countries have banned corporal punishment. New Zealand did so in 2007 and ran a national public health campaign to teach parents about non-violent discipline. Since then, child assault reports have decreased and support for smacking has dropped from 89 per cent in 1981, to 19 per cent in 2018. This shows that when laws change and parents are supported, attitudes and behaviours change, too. If Queensland repeals the legal defence for corporal punishment, it must support parents with free evidence-based parenting programs and a public health campaign to explain why the law is changing and alternatives to smacking. MORE OPINION: It must work closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and culturally diverse groups to avoid repeating past harms, and monitor whether corporal punishment is decreasing and if families are getting the help they need. Changing the law isn't about criminalising parents. It's about protecting children and guiding families toward safer, more effective ways to teach right from wrong. While option two may address concerns about over-criminalisation, it sends a mixed message about the acceptability of physical discipline. Parents need to know that any form of physical punishment can be harmful. The law should unequivocally prohibit such practices to protect children's rights and wellbeing. Many parents use smacking because they think it's the only way to get their child to behave. But there are better ways including praising good behaviour, setting clear rules, implementing fair consequences, helping children to regulate their emotions, and using time-outs or quiet moments to help children reflect. These methods build stronger relationships and help children learn self-control without fear or pain. Queensland and Australia have an opportunity to lead in child protection. The evidence is clear - corporal punishment doesn't work, and it causes harm. It's time to treat children with the same respect and protection as adults. Children deserve to feel safe in their homes. Parents deserve support to use better parenting strategies. Society benefits when we reduce violence, improve mental health, and raise resilient children. The law must change. And with the right support, families can thrive without violence.
ABC News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Queensland premier says government shouldn't tell parents how to discipline kids
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli says the government shouldn't tell parents how to discipline their children amid a push to ban corporal punishment and smacking. The Queensland Law Reform Commission (QLRC) is currently reviewing criminal defences, including one that allows parents to use "reasonable" force to control a child. In a consultation paper it released earlier this year, the QLRC proposed repealing the criminal code's domestic discipline defence or limiting its scope. Government won't give parenting 'advice' Asked about the issue on Thursday, Mr Crisafulli indicated his government would not make any law changes and insisted the state shouldn't tell guardians how to parent. "We are ensuring that there are assault laws in place to prevent people being assaulted," he said. "But to be crystal clear, the state government will not be telling parents how to provide discipline and structure and support to a child. "It is not for the state government to provide advice to a family about how to provide discipline and structure." Call for law change The QLRC consultation paper notes the domestic discipline defence allows parents to use force that is "reasonable in the circumstances". It also points out the measure provides a "complete defence" to an offence where force is used. Photo shows Corporal punishment Australia's failure to outlaw the smacking of children is a United Nations human rights violation, a team of legal scholars and psychologists has found. "This includes common assault but could also include more serious offences such as assault occasioning bodily harm or choking," it says. "Each Australian jurisdiction has a similar defence, either in legislation or at common law. "The domestic discipline defence raises issues about the ability for parents to discipline their children and the rights of children to be protected from all types of violence and abuse." University of Queensland Associate Professor Divna Haslam has authored a submission to the review that has been signed by groups like Bravehearts and Triple P International. The submission recommends the abolishment of the domestic discipline defence and calls for a statewide education campaign to outline the "harm" of physical punishment. The submission argues a full repeal of the defence would allow for clear messaging that "violence is never acceptable". Divna Haslam says there is no evidence that hitting children improves their behaviour. ( ABC Radio Brisbane: Kenji Sato ) Dr Haslam said corporal punishment was associated with negative outcomes such as poor mental health and increased aggression. "There's decades of research that shows that domestic discipline or corporal punishment … is harmful to children," she said. "It's ineffective. It actually doesn't work to reduce problem behaviours for children moving forward and it violates children's rights." 'Clearly a hypocrite' Queensland Opposition Leader Steven Miles, who is a father of three, said he had never smacked his children. Opposition Leader Steven Miles says Mr Cirsafulli is a hypocrite. ( ABC News: Kenji Sato ) He also accused Mr Crisafulli of being hypocrite, pointing to "He says on one hand that he won't tell parents how they should parent their child," Mr Miles said. "On the other hand, he tells health professionals at the children's hospital not to deliver healthcare to other people's children. "David Crisafulli is pretty clearly a hypocrite on this front."
The Guardian
12-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
LNP denies using ‘cover' of Tropical Cyclone Alfred to scrap independent review of mining lease objections
Queensland's government has denied using the 'cover' of Tropical Cyclone Alfred to cancel a long-running review of the way objections to mining leases are handled by the state land court. The Queensland Law Reform Commission had been conducting the independent review since June 2023, with recommendations due on 30 June. On 4 March, with the cyclone bearing down on the state, the attorney general, Deb Frecklington, cancelled its reference, ending the process. The opposition leader, Steven Miles, accused the government of 'sneaking through these changes while the south-east is bunkered down under the cover of a cyclone warning'. 'That this is a calculated manoeuvre by the attorney general and the LNP to govern in secret,' he said on Wednesday. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Frecklington denied she had done so, saying she'd had 'a conversation with the chair of QLRC' on 25 February, to arrange a date to cancel the review. The independent law reform body will be replaced by the cabinet resources committee, which is made up of senior members of the LNP government. It is made up of government ministers for resources Dale Last, environment Andrew Powell plus treasurer David Janetzki and deputy premier Jarrod Bleijie. According to the minister's letter cancelling the review, the new committee will consider initiatives designed to 'improve the competitiveness of Queensland's resources sector and the value of its supply chain', such as by reducing delays and improving approval timeframes. The QLRC had been commissioned with designing amendments that would provide 'the fairness, efficiency and effectiveness of the objections processes' and 'providing opportunities for community participation, including access to justice and the cost of participating' among others. Labor has also accused the government of using the 'cover' of the cyclone to 'secretly' sack an advisory body designed to respond to youth crime. The deputy opposition leader, Cameron Dick, said the premier, David Crisafulli, had 'cynically used the cover of Cyclone Alfred to pop the dirty laundry out as cyclone Alfred approached the Queensland coast'. Frecklington said 'Labor's Independent Ministerial Advisory Committee' would be replaced by their minister for victims and a new advisory body, and its members had been offered positions elsewhere in government. Community action group Lock the Gate Alliance said they were 'shocked' at the 'unprecedented step' to cancel the independent review of mining lease objections, which they claimed was done in order to prevent the release of its findings. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion They compared the move with legislation passed by the government of Campbell Newman to reduce standing for objectors to resource projects. 'We can only conclude that the LNP government has intervened because the findings were not popular with the mining industry,' the Lock the Gate Alliance national coordinator, Ellen Roberts, said. According to a list of draft recommendations, QLRC was considering recommending amending legislation to facilitate independent expert advice and requiring decision makers to consider 'any independent expect advice received'. It was also recommending 'requiring decision-makers to consider the rights of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples when deciding a mining lease application and associated environmental authority'. Andrew Kwan, managing lawyer at the Environmental Defenders Office in Queensland, said the resources cabinet committee didn't allow for input by 'Queenslanders adversely affected by mining who made submissions to the Qlrc'. He said the move 'devalues the work of not just QLRC staff but the hundreds of community and industry stakeholders who earnestly participated in this extensive review'. The LNP also plans to increase regulation on renewables projects, keep the state's coal plants operating longer and repeal its renewables target. 'Although disappointed we cannot finalise this work, we respect this is a matter for the Attorney-General,' Qlrc chair, Fleur Kingham, said. The Guardian has contacted attorney-general Deb Frecklington for comment.
The Guardian
20-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Queensland's mandatory life imprisonment for murder lacks public support, law reform body finds
Queensland's mandatory penalty of life imprisonment for murder lacks community support, according to the state's law reform commission, despite the government recently expanding the provision to cover children as young as 10. In a consultation paper released on Thursday, the Queensland Law Reform Commission described the state's sentencing scheme for murder as 'the most inflexible in Australia' and raised three options for amendment for public debate. The proposed reforms directly contradict the headline policy of the new Liberal National party government. Premier David Crisafulli last year sponsored new laws expanding the mandatory sentence to children, which the government concedes is a violation of their human rights. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email 'The community does not support the mandatory penalty of life imprisonment for murder. The community expects sentencing to reflect the culpability of murder defendants,' according to the QLRC paper. Queensland's combination of mandatory sentencing and minimum non-parole periods of at least 20 years makes it the most inflexible in the country, the commission said. South Australia, the Northern Territory, Canada and the United Kingdom are among the other jurisdictions that impose mandatory life sentences for murder. The independent law reform institution was tasked with undertaking the review as a result of a recommendation of the Women's Safety and Justice taskforce in 2021, which examined coercive control and the experience of women and girls across the criminal justice system. It conducted preliminary consultation, including 96 meetings with stakeholders including judges, prosecutors, criminal defence lawyers, DFV victim survivors, legal aid, community justice groups and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders. The QLRC raised four options for the state's approach to murder sentences: Making no change Keeping mandatory life for particular killings such as of very vulnerable victims like children Setting a presumptive life sentence which the defence would have to argue down Or a maximum life sentence. The latter is most common in comparable jurisdictions, it said. The mandatory penalty creates several problems, the QLRC said, including discouraging guilty pleas, with almost three-quarters of convicted defendants to a murder charge pleading not guilty, compared to just 11.2% of those guilty of manslaughter. It also does not adequately reflect the particulars and 'nature of the crime and 'may disproportionately impact disadvantaged persons, including Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples … and (domestic and family violence) DFV victim survivors', the QLRC said. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'In jurisdictions, such as Victoria, where the penalty for murder is maximum life imprisonment, the rate of guilty pleas is higher than in Queensland,' the paper reads. The commission also found that the state's self-defence laws are unnecessarily complex and hard to understand, and do not work effectively for victim survivors of domestic and family violence who use force against their abuser. It found that the defence of domestic discipline – which permits the legal use of corporal punishment by parents and teachers for purposes of behavioural discipline or correction – is used to excuse the unreasonable use of serious violence. And the defence of 'killing on provocation' continues to be used by domestic violence perpetrators who have killed out of jealousy or anger. The QLRC chair, Fleur Kingham, said: 'our preliminary assessment is that significant reforms are required.' The Crisafulli government's 'adult crime, adult time' policy was a key commitment at the election in October. The government conceded it directly discriminates against children by limiting their 'protection from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment'. The commission is open to submissions from the public until 20 April. A final report with recommendations is expected in December this year.
