Zealand Research Research Articles

Worlds Apart? Women, Rape and the Police Reporting Process

During the 1970s and 1980s, in both Britain and New Zealand, mounting criticism was made of the way in which women rape complainants were treated by the police and criminal justice system. In response to these criticisms, legal and procedural changes were introduced in both countries in the mid-1980s, aimed at improving women's experience of the reporting process. As in England, however, little research was conducted following these changes to assess their impact on women's experiences of the police reporting process. In a recent British Journal of Criminology article (1997), Jennifer Temkin presented research findings based on a study of women in Sussex who reported rape in the 1990s. By way of comparison, this article presents the results of similar research conducted within the New Zealand context. Both studies, although conducted worlds apart, produced similar results and generated strikingly similar conclusions. This article presents a summary of the findings from the New Zealand research and explores possible explanations for the apparent lack of major improvement in women's experiences of the rape reporting process in both countries. It concludes that while the police and rape victims remain seemingly worlds apart in their perspectives and needs, little in the way of substantive improvements appears possible within this historically and cross-culturally fraught area. (Abstract Adapted from Source: British Journal of Criminology, 2001. Copyright © 2001 by Oxford University Press) Foreign Countries England New Zealand Rape Effects Rape Victim Sexual Assault Effects Sexual Assault Reporting Sexual Assault Victim Police Response Adult Female Adult Victim Female Victim Victim Report Victimization Effects Violence Against Women Crime Reporting 12-01

Potential of weed seedbanks for managing weeds: a review of recent New Zealand research

Weed seedbanks are the primary source of weeds in cultivated soils. Some knowledge of the weed seedbank may therefore be appropriate for integrated weed management programs. It would also be very useful in planning herbicide programs and reducing the total herbicide use. However, a number of problems are inherent in the estimation of the seedbank size for arable weeds that usually have annual life cycles. In a long‐term research project we have investigated the dynamics of weed seedbanks in corn fields for the past 8 years. Specific studies have included (i) developing cheap and efficient methods for estimating the weed seedbank; (ii) developing guidelines for efficient soil sampling (including the number and size of samples); (iii) influence of cultivation methods on weed seed distribution; (iv) mapping the spatial variability of the seedbank; (v) estimating the rate of seedbank decline for certain weed species; and (vi) assessing the potential of using the weed seed content in the soil to predict future weed problems. This paper reviews and summarizes the results of our research on the above aspects. The strong correlation between seedlings emerged in the greenhouse and seeds extracted in the laboratory for the most abundant weed species has demonstrated the potential for using the weed seed content of the soil to predict future weed infestations. The next step is to establish correlations with field emergence under commercial conditions using the sampling guidelines developed in our studies. Subsequently, we aim to offer the weed seedbank estimation as a commercial service to farmers for planning the most appropriate weed management options.

HEALING THE VICTIM, THE YOUNG OFFENDER, AND THE COMMUNITY VIA RESTORATIVE JUSTICE: AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

The 1990s saw the enactment of much "get tough with young offenders" legislation in the United States. At the same time, problems with our present punishment and treatment model, in which many youngsters cycle repeatedly through the justice and mental health systems, raised interest in restorative justice, a community-based alternative model emphasizing a balanced, negotiated approach to the needs of victims, offenders, and the community. After summarizing the philosophical bases underlying both models, this article describes the practice of restorative justice in New Zealand, where it was pioneered. Restorative justice has special relevance for the Maori community in New Zealand and minority communities in the United States, where youth are consistently overrepresented in the courts, detention centers, and jails, and in which the juvenile justice system is seen as hostile and biased. Outcome data from New Zealand and early outcome research from the United States suggests that the restorative model, in which offenses are understood as a breakdown in social bonds, offers a hopeful alternative for offending youngsters, their families, and their communities.

HEALING THE VICTIM, THE YOUNG OFFENDER, AND THE COMMUNITY VIA RESTORATIVE JUSTICE: AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

The 1990s saw the enactment of much "get tough with young offenders" legislation in the United States. At the same time, problems with our present punishment and treatment model, in which many youngsters cycle repeatedly through the justice and mental health systems, raised interest in restorative justice, a community-based alternative model emphasizing a balanced, negotiated approach to the needs of victims, offenders, and the community. After summarizing the philosophical bases underlying both models, this article describes the practice of restorative justice in New Zealand, where it was pioneered. Restorative justice has special relevance for the Maori community in New Zealand and minority communities in the United States, where youth are consistently overrepresented in the courts, detention centers, and jails, and in which the juvenile justice system is seen as hostile and biased. Outcome data from New Zealand and early outcome research from the United States suggests that the restorative model, in which offenses are understood as a breakdown in social bonds, offers a hopeful alternative for offending youngsters, their families, and their communities.

Perennial ryegrass cultivars: herbage yield in multi-site plot trials

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) cultivars adapted to New Zealand conditions are bred by several scientifically equipped New Zealand interests. New cultivars are evaluated in a network of trials organised by the New Zealand Plant Breeding and Research Association. This paper presents data from 17 trials completed throughout New Zealand since 1991. Data were analysed for each trial and then in a multi-site analysis enabling comparison of estimated cultivar means, over all New Zealand trials, North Island trials and Canterbury trials. New cultivars released to the market yielded on average 6% more herbage annually, and 9% in summer, than cultivars available before 1991. Other cultivars were evaluated but showed no yield advantage and have not been commercially released. Point analysis of plots in the final season of trials indicated that recently released cultivars maintain ground cover at least as well as the older ones. Limited data for rust infection indicated that the oldest cultivars are the most severely affected. Keywords: cultivar evaluation, endophyte, NZPBRA, pasture plant breeding, perennial ryegrass

Forest road erosion in New Zealand: overview

New Zealand research relating to erosion impacts of plantation forest roads, tracks and landings has been carried out since the mid-1970s. Methods include paired catchment studies, storm-induced mass movement surveys, and surface erosion plot experiments from both natural and simulated rainfall‐runoff. Road surface erosion data exist only for indurated conglomerate, granitic, schist and pumice terrains, with annual sediment yields up to 15 kg m ˇ2 for a range of treatments and source types including graded, ungraded and gravelled road surface-ditch, cutbank and sidecast. Sediment generated from infrequent storm-induced landslides over entire forest road networks range from c. 40 to 8000 t km ˇ1 road, or one to three orders of magnitude greater than combined surface road erosion processes. Young roads tend to have greater landslide susceptibility. Despite predicted increases in sediment yields from road surfaces during forest establishment and harvesting activities, annual sediment yields from catchments appear to be within natural levels. Copyright # 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Genetic and environmental factors affecting lamb survival at birth and through to weaning

Pedigree and early performance records from lambs on three New Zealand research stations, involving 51 station‐years of data (55 146 recorded lambs born), were analysed in order to study genetic and environmental factors affecting perinatal and preweaning survival. Mean birth weights at each site were very similar, being 4.26 kg at Woodlands, 4.22 kg at Tokanui, and 4.32 kg at Rotomahana Station. Total survival rates to weaning (preweaning survival) across sites averaged 79.0, 78.9, and 80.1%, respectively. Analyses of variance for perinatal survival and preweaning survival showed significant effects of contemporary group of lamb, age of dam, and birth rank‐sex combinations, whilst linear and curvilinear effects of birth weight were also significant. Optimal birth weights were 4.36 kg and 4.77 kg for maximal perinatal survival and maximal preweaning survival, respectively. Heavy singles and twins were at higher risk of not surviving, but light singles and twins were also at risk. At birth, survival was consistently lowest from lambs out of 2‐year‐old dams, whilst preweaning survival was lower amongst lambs from 2‐ and 5‐year‐old dams, and higher in lambs from 3‐ and 4‐year‐old dams. Estimates of total heritability (direct + maternal + direct‐maternal covariance) for perinatal survival as a transformed (logit) trait were 0.055 (Tokanui and Woodlands data), and 0.105 (Rotomahana data). Corresponding estimates for preweaning survival were 0.031 and 0.101, respectively. Maternal genetic variances for perinatal and preweaning survival as logit traits were 1.5–5 times the size of the lamb's additive genetic variance. Our analyses confirm previous low genetic parameter estimates for lamb survival.

If You Say It Three Times, Is It True? Critical use of research in early childhood education Si On le Dit Trois Fois, Est-ce Que c'Est Vrai? I'Utilisation critique de la recherche dans l'enseignement prescolaire Si lo Repite Tres Veces, Es Verdad? Uso critico de la investigacion sobre educacion en la primera infancia

Despite having a curriculum based on socio-cultural theory and changes in teacher education context, the tenet of 'readiness' and the belief in teacher non-interference remain strongly evident in New Zealand early childhood teachers practice. These practices have sub-optimal consequences for children's learning and development and for early childhood teacher status. Some insights from New Zealand research on child-child learning and teaching and on the importance of adult-child interactions for children to formulate 'working theories' and develop positive learning dispositions are used to argue that future research needs to focus on children's learning and the teacher's pedagogical role. It is suggested that a range of learning theories may be needed, appropriate to specific contexts. Bien que le programme scolaire soit base sur la theorie socioculturelle et que des changements aient eu place dans la formation des enseignants, le principe de maturite pedagogique et la croyance dans la non-interference des enseignants demeurent fortement manifestes dans les pratiques des enseignants de la petite enfance en Nouvelle-Zelande. Ces pratiques ont des consequences sub-optimales sur l'apprentissage des enfants et leur developpement, et sur le statut des enseignants de la petite enfance. Des apercus tires de recherches neo-zelandaises sur l'apprentissage et l'enseignement d'enfant a enfant et sur l'importance des interactions adulte-enfant pour que les enfants puissent formuler des hypotheses de travail et developper des dispositions positives d'apprentissage servent a affirmer que les futures recherches devront se concentrer sur l'apprentissage des enfants et le role pedagogique de l'enseignant. Il est suggere que tout un eventail de theories de l'apprentissage pourraient etre requises, selon les contextes differents. A pesar de tener un curriculum en base a una teoria sociocultural y cambios en el contexto docente del profesor, el principio de ''a punto'' y la creencia en la no interferencia del profesor siguen siendo evidentes en la practica de los profesores de infancia de Nueva Zelanda. Estas practicas tienen consecuencias suboptimas para el aprendizaje y desarrollo de los ninos y para la posicion del profesor de infancia. Se usan algunas opiniones de la investigacion realizada en Nueva Zelanda sobre el aprendizaje y ensenanza nino a nino y sobre la importancia de las interacciones adulto-nino para que los ninos formulen ''teorias de trabajo'' y desarrollen disposiciones de aprendizaje positivas, y con estas opiniones se discute si las futuras investigaciones deberian centrarse en el aprendizaje de los ninos y el papel pedagogico del profesor. Se sugiere la posible necesidad de una serie de teorias de aprendizaje, adecuadas a contextos especificos.

A Review of New Zealand Research Measuring Phosphorus in Runoff from Pasture

AbstractNew Zealand pastoral farm land is intensively grazed and receives predominantly single superphosphate fertilizer. Resource managers and policymakers are concerned about the effects of such land use on P enrichment of waterways and lakes. This paper reviews New Zealand research on the effects of agricultural land use on P losses in water runoff and highlights priorities for management and future research. Diffuse agricultural sources contribute about 91% of total P entering fresh waters annually, with 0.11 to 1.67 kg P ha−1 yr−1 being removed, mostly in particulate forms. Despite a number of studies showing good site‐specific correlation, no widely applicable soil test method for estimating runoff dissolved P concentration has been found. The effects of (i) fertilizer application in increasing surface runoff P concentrations (ii) riparian areas in both source and control roles, and (iii) subsurface drainage, in reducing losses of P in surface runoff from pasture land, are reported. A catchment scale simulation model, Basin New Zealand (BNZ), for intensively grazed pastures, has been produced based on CREAMS (chemicals, runoff, and erosion from agricultural management systems). This model adequately predicts P loss at the field scale but is less reliable at the catchment scale, which indicates differences in predominant P and sediment sources at the two scales. Corrective management has alleviated eutrophication problems in some lakes and waterways; however better information is yet required to understand, model, and manage the more insidious losses of P to waterways from New Zealand farm land.

The family group conference in the New Zealand children, young persons, and their families act of 1989 (CYP&F): review and evaluation.

The family group conference is an innovation introduced into New Zealand law as a means of resolving child protection and youth justice cases. The law requires the conference to include the offender, the victim, the extended family, and other relevant parties. This article reviews New Zealand research and commentary, and publications reporting on experiences with the methods in other countries. The discussion emphasizes problems in adapting a method based on one culture to a different culture and social organization. The article also considers the law from the viewpoint of therapeutic jurisprudence. Although the research is sparse, the FGC has strong promise for resolving problems, enhancing the sense of community and participation, and empowering families.

In Pursuit of Moving Targets: New Zealand Population Geography in the South Pacific

ABSTRACTNew Zealand population geographers in the South Pacific islands early focused on resource issues, especially in Fiji and the smaller island states politically linked to New Zealand. This later extended into analysis of the structure of village level economic and social development, notably in Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Fiji. These analyses contributed to a clearer understanding of the substance of development at a key turning point in the region's history ‐ the transition to independence. Migration, or mobility, and urbanisation attracted enormous interest throughout the region, with lengthy debates ranging over migration models, urban permanence, the ideology of return and metaphors of mobility, establishing the most distinctive thrust of New Zealand research in the region. Practical research, involving censuses and consultancies, has directly contributed to development. Despite the valuable historical legacy the extent and significance of New Zealand work on the population geography of the Island Pacific has now dwindled.

Evidence-based purchasing of health promotion: methodology for reviewing evidence

In recent years, greater emphasis has been placed on evidence-based practice by health care purchasers, managers and practitioners around the world. This is seen as a means of delivering greater benefits to patients and populations within existing resources. Evidence-based practice requires accessible information in a form that is relevant to the problems decision-makers face. The process of evidence-based practice needs to be informed by the best available research evidence of the effectiveness of health-promoting interventions combined with good judgement as to the applicability of that evidence and the feasibility of implementation in the local context. The nature of evidence which can be brought to bear on the decision-making process may vary in both quality and reliability. In the field of health promotion, the nature of problems requiring solutions is complex. Commonly there are multiple variables affecting multiple health outcomes. In addition, there is limited available evidence for the effectiveness of interventions and it is of variable quality. These factors pose problems for ensuring evidence-based health promotion. This article describes New Zealand research commissioned by one of four regional purchasers of health services. The purchaser required the development of a framework to prioritize interventions in 22 health promotion areas identified as priorities by the Minister of Health. Our framework was used to consider a broad range of different kinds of evidence, including scientific research, organizational capacity, socio-cultural factors and local community-based knowledge related to the determinants of health. Making explicit the nature of our framework and the evidence we considered, enabled our recommendations about the most appropriate interventions to be as valid and reliable as possible. Our judgement is that as for evidence-based medicine, evidence-based health promotion must employ both quantitative and qualitative evidence, and that the final judgement about purchasing of health promotion initiatives is essentially subjective and political.

⃛ while New Zealand research gets thin rations

With a general election looming, New Zealand's minority National Party government has increased science and technology spending by NZ$14.8 million to NZ$426.2 million (US$226 million) in its budget for 1999-2000, keeping funding slightly ahead of inflation.

Poplars and willows for soil erosion control in New Zealand

Poplars ( Populus) and willows ( Salix) are exotic to New Zealand and have been introduced and cultivated over the last 160 years, for soil erosion control on pastoral hill country, riverbank protection, shade, windbreaks and woodlot forestry. During the 1960s and 1970s over two million poplars were planted in government-subsidised erosion control schemes. Planting techniques and patterns are discussed. This type of subsidised planting declined in the late 1980s and 1990s with the emphasis shifting to land management systems incorporating Radiata pine ( Pinus radiata) afforestation, poplar silvipastoral systems, and various plant combinations including poplars and willows for riparian management. To prevent long-term degradation by soil erosion, there is a need to develop economic silvipastoral systems on at least one million hectares of New Zealand pastoral lands and the New Zealand research effort is refocusing on obtaining the necessary information to ensure this is a viable option for farmers.

Collaboration and organisational learning: a study of a New Zealand collaborative research program

Collaboration with a research partner is one strategy that small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can pursue to counter their size-imposed research and development (R&D) resource and capacity constraints and to enhance their learning. The Technology for Business Growth (TBG) program supports collaborative R&D projects between New Zealand industry and research institutions. This research attempted to gauge the effects of participation in a collaborative project on broader aspects of organisational learning, on the industry managers' subsequent attitudes towards R&D, as well as managers' perceptions of success and failure factors for collaboration. The majority of managers stated that their attitude to R&D had not changed (it was already positive prior to the project). However, their organisations' attitude towards the management of R&D projects had often changed, with many companies adopting the practices of project evaluation and planning enforced by the TBG application process, thus providing considerable evidence that organisational learning had taken place. Objective measures of subsequent R&D activity, such as increased spending on, and number of, R&D projects and increased employment of technical staff provide further evidence that the companies' learning experiences with collaborative projects may have encouraged them to invest more readily in R&D.

The Wage Curve and Local Labour Markets in New Zealand

Blanchflower and Oswald argue in their 1994 book that there is a stable downward-sloping convex curve linking the level of pay to the local unemployment rate. They derived this so-called wage curve from measurements on individuals within regions (local labour markets) for several countries and periods. Other investigators have confirmed the robustness of this finding. In this paper we seek evidence for the wage curve in New Zealand drawing on data at the regional level by means of the /996 census of population and dwellings. New Zealand research is hampered by the inaccessibility of unit record data and the paper reports results based on publicly available grouped data. The results show that a cross-sectional wage curve does exist in New Zealand. The elasticity is in the range of-0.07 to -0.12, which is similar to results obtained for other countries. However, research to date has not been able to choose between competing explanations for this phenomenon. We argue that a better understanding of the dynamics of local labour markets is an essential requirement for further study of the wage curve.

The Impact of Self-Assessed Health on Labour Supply

Health has long been recognised as an influence on labour supply. To date there has been little New Zealand research on this topic. This paper uses census area unit level data from the 1996 Census to estimate the effects of changes in the prevalence of self-assessed disability and health problems on the labour force participation race. The best results were obtained from questions asking about the effect of health on ability to carry out common everyday activities, and having a long-term disability. Despite the use of aggregate data the goodness of fit of the models was low (approximately 0.50). Coefficients on non-health variables were robust to changes in the specification of the health variable. The elasticity of labour force participation rates with respect to ill health varied between -0.02 and 0.02. The use of grouped data is less than ideal, and the impact of different corrections for this data structure is explored. The weighted least squares methods used in this paper have been argued to be inefficient if group sizes vary widely, and this is an area for future research with the current dataset. Future research directions with New Zealand survey data are suggested.

Collaborative research programmes: building trust from difference

Many technology policies support collaborative research, particularly involving small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), in the hope such projects will result in economically productive relationships. However, collaborative projects bring with them their own inherent management problems because of the dual nature of project control. When the collaboration partner is a research institute or university, the mixing of the different organizational cultures can also result in conflicting attitudes towards the management of the project. These factors combine to provide a barrier to the establishment of trust between the project partners. This study addresses the importance of collaborative policy instruments in establishing different levels of trust, by looking at one such intermediary scheme, the Technology for Business Growth (TBG) programme which supports collaborative R&D projects between New Zealand industry and research institutions. Contractual and competence trusts were facilitated by the TBG application procedures. Cultural differences were found to have some positive impacts on the development of competence trust. However, in general, goodwill trust evolves only if repeat collaborative relationships occur. It is proposed, therefore, that a hierarchy of policy mechanisms could provide the platform for research partners to progressively develop a goodwill trust based relationship that will endure beyond the support of the intermediary programme.

User Education in New Zealand tertiary Libraries: An international comparison

The article reports the results of a survey of user education objectives and practices in New Zealand academic libraries, and makes comparisons to a Canadian study. The New Zealand research also explored librarians' attitudes about the relationship between user education and information literacy.

The social costs of alcohol abuse in New Zealand

This study updates and extends previous New Zealand research on the social costs of alcohol abuse. This economic cost study used the human capital approach. New Zealand, 1991. The total New Zealand population. The estimated cost of alcohol abuse for 1 year included direct and indirect costs. Costs such as lost production resulting from premature death and sickness, reduced working efficiency and excess unemployment comprised indirect costs. Direct costs included hospital costs, accident compensation payments, police and justice system costs. A range of social cost estimates was constructed based on various prevalence rates of alcohol abuse, discount rates for lost production and the excess unemployment rate. Using a range of assumptions regarding the proportion of each event attributable to alcohol, the sum of social costs ranged from $1045 million to $4005 million in 1991. The direct costs ranged from $341 million to $589 million, respectively. While providing an indication of the societal impact of alcohol abuse, these costs pertain to a relatively narrow range of alcohol-related effects. The paper identifies a number of areas where further research is required.