AUSTRALIA

Parents vs. children: Families in crisis

Desperate parents are taking out record numbers of violence restraining orders against their children.
Youth law experts say VROs against children are at epidemic levels as parents struggle to cope with violent offspring.
But they also claim many parents are using VROs as an easy option – making children as young as 14 homeless as a result.
Each month the Children's Court issues at least 30 VROs, banning children from coming within 50m of their homes and families, and the Youth Legal Service is alarmed by the trend and has launched a special mediation program.
YLS manager Cheryl Cassidy-Vernon said 16 of the 18 VROs in mediation were parents against children.

“The parent-child VROs really indicate a new trend,” she said.
“We've seen a lot of cases where the parent has tried their best and does not get anywhere with the child. The difficulty is that if you put a VRO in place, you make a young person homeless because they can no longer live at home.”
In 2002, the YLS dealt with 20 VROs against children. This rose to 59 – more than one a week – in the last financial year.
But a senior Legal Aid lawyer said children were increasingly becoming the victims of parents looking for an easy fix.
“It's almost an epidemic. In the Children's Court, we see at least one VRO a day against kids as young as 14,” said Annie O'Neill, of LA's youth law team.
“Parents see it as an easy fix: `If I can't sort you out, the police will'.”
Because consent is no longer a defence against breaching a VRO, the situation had created a sub-class of children living in limbo.
“It's creating problems of homelessness. We've had children in breach of VROs for going home to collect clothes. Or they are invited home for Christmas dinner and suddenly they've broken the law.”

One boy had eight or nine breaches of VROs against him because he had been invited home by his mother.
Ms O'Neill said the problem was exacerbated because hostels were reluctant to take children who had VROs against them.
“They see them as trouble,” she said.
Ms O'Neill also accused magistrates of heavy-handedness.
“They give them out too easily. More emphasis should be placed on mediation,” she said.
“There should be a cooling-off period. How do you come back from a VRO when you have effectively told your child, `I don't want you in my life, I don't want you anywhere near me'?
“Violence is not acceptable but a parent has to ask if it is an established pattern or is it a one-off cry for help?”

Youth Affairs Council WA executive officer Karyn Lisignoli said parents had to recognise that the teenage years were turbulent.
“Part of adolescence and growing up is risk-taking behaviour and crossing boundaries,” she said.
Parents struggling with troubled children could be targetted by the State Government's new parent classes.
The classes, which teach parents communication, behaviour and discipline skills, will be introduced in legislation this year.
In an Australian first, it will enable social workers and police to apply to the Children's Court for a Responsible Parenting Order.

Catherine Madden
7 August 2005

http://www.sundaytimes.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,16175228%255E948,00.html

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