Concluding thoughts

In a landmark change in 2007 New Zealand prohibited all physical punishment of children, Prior to the repeal of Section 59 of the Crimes Act there was contested debate that split the community; some saw repeal as a necessary support of children's rights, others saw it as undue interference by the state in matters of family business (Wood, Hassall & Hook, 2008), In any event, the pro-change group succeeded, and for the past five years New Zealand has joined an increasing number of countries to ban the physical punishment of children, Reflecting upon the passing of the repeal of Section 59 as a case-study, it is clear that a number of factors combined to influence change: the impact of evidence and research; the significance of the media in shaping public attitudes; and the importance of advocacy and human rights, these factors have also featured strongly in the chapters of this book.