Testing the Water
violent girls in new zealand
we'd been going to come to new zealand next year but i'm getting really worried. we have two little girls 8 and 10 who are too gentle if anything. i've been following the news for a while and i've seen too many stories where girls have been beaten within an inch of their lives by other girls. reading this now makes me think we shouldn't go http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10773681 is there something sick going on with girls in new zealand because i keep reading stuff like this?
Member
Can you show examples of others besides this one incident?Originally Posted by gills
Administrator
Hello and welcome.
Through my Kiwi grandchildren and all their network of cousins in schools in NZ, I've never heard of anything like this directly. I Googled 'NZ schoolgirl violence', and got this. http://www.google.co.uk/#sclient=psy...w=1112&bih=768 There aren't actually many separate incidents reported on.
Of course it would be good if there were NO crimes, and certainly none among children, but they happen, everywhere in the world. To keep a sense of proportion about what's happening, it's necessary to think who has written what you're reading, and why. If the source is a newspaper report, unfortunately what makes the big headlines and boosts sales is the bad side of things, and there's no way to look up 'NZ schoolgirls who didn't commit violence'. But even at the school mentioned in your link, there are 1278 pupils who DIDN'T do this, as against the two who did. And looking more closely at the report into violence that is also mentioned on Google, the girls' reactions and self-justifications mentioned are not from ordinary girls, but from 100 who had already got some history of bullying and other problem behaviour, picked up by schools and other authorities and therefore already in the system and being treated, counselled, and, it's to be hoped, helped, who were the subject of the professor's survey.
Yes, there are some horrible incidents to hear about, but I think you could find such reports from any country in the world. I don't think you are any more likely to find your daughters sitting in school beside disturbed children like this in NZ than they are in the UK. Also, bear in mind that with your care for your family, you would be choosing where to set up home with an eye on the social mix of the neighbourhood, probably taking advice in advance, so you're not going to pick on the equivalent of a slum, or a problem estate.
If you find other stories of child violence, try doing a search for news of pupils of the school the 'bad' pupil came from - it may help to get an all round view of the picture, to see the day to day normality to set against the shocking incident.
Member
We are emmigrating next June to Welly and our two girls will be 5 and 6. I can honestly say that although there is crime/ dark sides etc to everyplace in this world I would be more worried raising them in the UK. Every week there are stories etc in both national and local media here about incidences regarding children etc.
Have you had the opportunity for a recce to NZ? We went last year and used that chance to visit the school where they would go and meeting the children and the Headteacher really reassured us that they would be well looked after and fit in well.
Hope all goes well for you
Junior Member
Thanks for the post and sharing! I have a 10 yr old girl, was also worrying when seeing the news... Now i feel better. Like the way JandM analyze the situation.
I have not been approved for residence visa, but interview is arranged next week!
Always Right
I'm sure if you scour the papers for most countries with a free press, you will come across news items that illustrate incidents of violence, bullying and youth crime. These are newsworthy purely because they are not the norm. If you are worried by news reports, then you really need to consider a visit to the country and also to find a more balanced way to investigate what the country is actually like. My girls, now 15 and 11, have been here for 5 years. They could both be described as 'gentle' and neither of them have any witnessed any violence between girls.
Member
We have been here for over a year and my children have not witnessed or experienced any violence at their schools. Sadly this was not the case in the UK, we lived in a small quiet market town but my daughters still witnessed some horrible incidents involving young girls beating others, cyber bullying etc. after witnessing one particularly violent assault, my daughter was asked to give a statement to police, needless to say, they feel a lot safer here. I think these things are reported here simpy because they are so unusual, nobody bothers reporting on bullying in the UK anymore unless someone gets stabbed or kills themselves to escape their tormentors. Don't worry - take everything you read in the papers with a large pinch of salt!
Member
Really, newspapers are no way to judge the crime rate or social disorder in any country. No doubt there are actual statistical differences, but you'd probably be hard put to find them or have them accurately interpreted. Like the 'golden age' that is reminisced about by every generation, this sort of thing is mostly a matter of perception.
Senior Member
There is far more of that sort of thing in the UK. If you read the papers here you will find you read about EVERY crime committed - basically because the rate is so much lower that they CAN report it all. Back in the UK it barely gets reported on anymore as it's so commonplace.
I feel far safer here in NZ than I had done in years in the UK.
And the one story you talk of, is the first time I've heard of it here.
Reluctant Relocator
How do you know this?
Not trying to be facetious here, but I really think it will be difficult to find reliable statistics one way or the other.
Daniela
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