SPCS

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS INC.

Crackdown on child exploitation passes unanimously

by Leave a Comment

A Bill to better protect children from sexual exploitation passed its final reading in Parliament today [2 April 2015] with unanimous support.

Justice Minister Amy Adams says the Objectionable Publications and Indecency Legislation Bill sends a clear message that activities which sexually exploit children are abhorrent and will not be tolerated.

“The law changes reflect the ease with which criminals can now access, share and distribute child sexual abuse material, and address the changing ways perpetrators can communicate with children,” says Ms Adams

“The Bill increases the penalties for making, trading or possessing child exploitation material. It will work to protect children who are sadly often re-victimised by the knowledge that images of their abuse could be shared over the internet for years to come,” says Ms Adams.

The Bill also includes a new offence of ‘indecent communication with a young person’ which will apply regardless of whether perpetrators contact victims under the age of 16 online, via text messaging, verbally or by other means.

“The measures in this Bill reflect the serious nature of these crimes, and align with the Government’s pledge to protect children from sexual exploitation,” says Ms Adams.

Among the changes, the Bill:

• Increases the maximum penalties for possession, import and export of an objectionable publication from 5 to 10 years’ imprisonment.
• Increases the maximum penalties for supply, distribution or making an objectionable publication from 10 to 14 years’ imprisonment.
• Creates a presumption of imprisonment for those convicted of a child exploitation material offence for a second time or later time.
• Clarifies that possession of objectionable electronic material includes intentionally viewing material without consciously downloading or saving it.
• Establishes accident compensation cover for mental injury caused by the existing sexual grooming offence, and the Bill’s new offence of indecent communication with a young person.
• Closes a gap in the law to ensure that New Zealanders who assist foreigners to commit sexual acts against children overseas, can be held liable as parties or accessories to the offence under New Zealand law.

Source:

Media Release dated 2 April 2015: Hon. Amy Adams – National MP for Selwyn.

http://www.amyadams.co.nz/index.php?/categories/2-Press-Releases

[Read more…]

Is censorship dead in the digital age?

by Leave a Comment

With the arrival of video-on-demand service Netflix and the replacement of adult DVDs with online porn, Nikki Macdonald – Stuff News (entertainment) – asks whether the censor’s office is more important than ever, or an expensive anachronism.

On a locked floor in central Wellington, staff are paid to watch porn and play video games.

When a vacancy comes up, the office is deluged with eager applicants. But the numbers rapidly dwindle when they’re set a work test. Few can stomach the censor’s daily diet of sex, horror, crime, cruelty and violence.

Behind the first examination door, Juliet* is classifying photos of pre-teen girls with pretty pink hair bows and exposed vaginas; next door Lucy is watching Japanese-style anime clips of explicit rape scenes with twisted messages; Henry is playing shoot-em-up video game Battlefield Hardline and in the adjoining office three senior censors are “having kittens” mulling whether to rate a German film featuring a graphic suicide scene as R16 or R18……

Chief censor Dr Andrew Jack argues censorship has never been more important, precisely because entertainment now comes in so many forms via so many different devices.

And there’s a growing recognition that, to some extent, you are what you watch.

“If I’m watching pornography that’s R18, there’s nothing wrong with that”, says Jack. “Except that if I [Dr Jack] watch large quantities of it it may be influencing the way I interact with real-life women. I think people perhaps are beginning to become more aware that you are the totality of your experience.”

For more go to:

Stuff: Story by Nikki MacDonald

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/66872326/is-censorship-dead-in-the-digital-age

*Censors’ names [e.g. “Juliet” have been changed to protect their safety.

Reports of NZ teachers’ misconduct increase

by Leave a Comment

Hundreds of New Zealand teachers have been investigated for inappropriate conduct in the past five years.

Sexual misconduct, pornography, violence, alcohol, drugs, dishonesty, fraud and theft are some of the serious breaches of conduct by teachers.

And the number of teachers being reported is on the rise, figures obtained by Fairfax Media show.

In 2014, 427 conduct reports were referred by the New Zealand Teachers Council to the Complaints Assessment Committee (CAC), compared to 252 referrals in 2010.

Of the 427 referrals last year, 69 were as a result of complaints from members of the public.

Conduct issues reported by current or former employees accounted for 214 referrals while 144 referrals were because a teacher recorded a criminal conviction.

In the past five years, 1781 teachers have come under the scrutiny of the CAC with 118 struck off the teachers register.

For many others, there was no further action or an agreement was reached between the teacher and the person who made the complaint.

Subsequently 45 teachers were referred to the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal and 27 of those were deregistered.

Other sanctions handed down by the tribunal included censure, suspension and conditions on the teacher’s practising certificate.

For full story go to:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/67617060/reports-of-teachers-misconduct-increase

Tougher laws on sexual exploitation of children

by Leave a Comment

Sexual exploitation of children will be punished more severely after a new law passed a final parliamentary hurdle.

Those found to have supplied, distributed or made an “objectionable material” face a maximum 14 years in prison, up from 10.

The penalty for possession, import and export also increases, from five years to 10.

And those convicted of a child exploitation material offence will almost certainly go to jail, under the Objectionable Publications and Indecency Legislation Bill.

The bill also targets paedophiles who attempt to “groom” under-16s online by establishing a new offence of “indecent communication with a young person”.

It will apply to texts, verbal and any other communications.

And it closes a legal loophole, ensuring that Kiwis who assist foreigners in sexual exploitation of children overseas can be prosecuted here. [Read more…]

Online porn is an issue that we cannot shy away from says Head of Childrens Charity

by Leave a Comment

Sue Minto Head of our ChildLine service – a registered Childrens Charity – explains why the issue of porn is being addressed with latest campaign.

For over 29 years we have strived to address the issues that young people tell us are affecting them. Cyber-bullying, self-harm and suicidal thoughts are just a few of the subjects we have helped children to deal with and to overcome.

As a charity that fights for every childhood we will always listen to what young people are telling us – which is why we have launched the Childline FAPZ campaign (the Fight Against Porn Zombies).

It is impossible to ignore 18,000 visits every month about exposure to porn on our discussion forums from children and young people or that one in ten 12-13 year olds are worried they are addicted to porn.

We have to remember that these aren’t just shocking numbers – they are real children. These young people are confused, upset, feel like they have to behave or look like porn stars to have relationships and at the worst end are in danger of engaging with harmful sexual behaviour. We cannot ignore the fact there are lots of children who are feeling this way across the UK.

For full article go to:

http://www.nspcc.org.uk/fighting-for-childhood/news-opinion/sue-minto-we-cannot-shy-away-talking-about-porn/