Recently there has been a lot of media attention focused on the problem of youth gangs and associated street violence. Solutions usually involve talk about council initiatives, access to education, more stringent policing and the role of social agencies.

In a recent newsletter entitled “The Fatherless Generation” however, Dr. Muriel Newman of the New Zealand Centre for Political Debate, states that “little has been said about the underlying causes of the problem”.

In the newsletter, she turns the focus on personal parental responsibility, and the importance of a stable home with two loving parents. Using quotes from youth court judges and university professors, she makes a strong link between crime and the absence of fathers in children’s upbringing.

“This is why I am passionately opposed to public policy and practice that encourages family breakdown and excludes biological fathers. Removing (fathers) from the lives of children leaves them extremely vulnerable to abuse, neglect and failure” states Dr. Newman.

She goes on to say that New Zealand’s decision makers, driven by a feminist agenda, are implementing a raft of policies that end up excluding men and fathers from the lives of their children. This drive for equality for women, is actually undermining men’s position in society according to Newman.

According to Newman, New Zealand needs inclusive policies where men and women play an equal role in society.