title: Indigenous people in Aotearoa New Zealand are overrepresented in cannabis convictions

authors: Rapana, Wetini

subjects: Cannabis

abstract: Background: Previous work has demonstrated that cannabis laws have had a disproportionate impact on Māori, the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2019, the New Zealand Government amended cannabis laws, providing police with the power to determine whether a therapeutic or health-centred approach would be more beneficial than a conviction. In the current study, we use population level data to assess whether this law change has ameliorated the bias in cannabis convictions for Māori. Methods: Data were drawn from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), a large government database hosted by Aotearoa New Zealand’s national statistics office. In the IDI, we selected individuals who (1) were between 18 and 65, (2) were Māori or Pākehā (New Zealanders of European descent) and, (3) had any cannabis charges that proceeded to the courts. Results: Māori ethnicity was a significant predictor of the odds of receiving a cannabis conviction for Māori males (Odds: 1.56), with a marginally significant effect for Māori females (Odds: 1.57). Further, for Māori, there was no reduction in the number of cannabis charges before vs. after the amendment to cannabis laws. Conclusion: The current study demonstrates that the bias in cannabis convictions for Māori remain. Given this, the New Zealand Government must follow other countries around the world and move forward on cannabis law reform.

text: Indigenous people in Aotearoa New Zealand are overrepresented in cannabis convictions Background: Previous work has demonstrated that cannabis laws have had a disproportionate impact on Māori, the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2019, the New Zealand Government amended cannabis laws, providing police with the power to determine whether a therapeutic or health-centred approach would be more beneficial than a conviction. In the current study, we use population level data to assess whether this law change has ameliorated the bias in cannabis convictions for Māori. Methods: Data were drawn from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), a large government database hosted by Aotearoa New Zealand’s national statistics office. In the IDI, we selected individuals who (1) were between 18 and 65, (2) were Māori or Pākehā (New Zealanders of European descent) and, (3) had any cannabis charges that proceeded to the courts. Results: Māori ethnicity was a significant predictor of the odds of receiving a cannabis conviction for Māori males (Odds: 1.56), with a marginally significant effect for Māori females (Odds: 1.57). Further, for Māori, there was no reduction in the number of cannabis charges before vs. after the amendment to cannabis laws. Conclusion: The current study demonstrates that the bias in cannabis convictions for Māori remain. Given this, the New Zealand Government must follow other countries around the world and move forward on cannabis law reform.

year: 2022

title: Akoranga whakarei: Learning about inclusion from four kura rumaki

authors: Berryman, Mere

subjects: Special education

abstract: In 2004 the New Zealand Ministry of Education proposed two research projects to understand how learning, social and cultural outcomes were being promoted for tamariki and rangatahi Māori with special educational needs in both kura auraki (English-medium schools) and kura rumaki (Māori-medium schools). 1hey also wanted to understand how this played out for other whānau members. At the time, a description of the services being promoted for Māori with special education needs acknowledged the philosophy that "tamariki and rangatahi with special needs and their whānau learn effectively through the provision of culturally competent services, which will ensure mana and tikanga are upheld" (Ministry of Education, 2003, p. 56). 
This chapter will briefly describe how this research was undertaken in kura rumaki and then discuss the findings that emerged. Perhaps not surprisingly, it will show that the staff from the kura who participated in this study, as with all of their students and whānau, had a very holistic and inclusive view of educating all tamariki and rangatahi, especially those with identified special education needs. The conclusion will consider some of the implications of these findings for others and propose that these research outcomes maintain relevance in 2014, a decade later.

text: Akoranga whakarei: Learning about inclusion from four kura rumaki In 2004 the New Zealand Ministry of Education proposed two research projects to understand how learning, social and cultural outcomes were being promoted for tamariki and rangatahi Māori with special educational needs in both kura auraki (English-medium schools) and kura rumaki (Māori-medium schools). 1hey also wanted to understand how this played out for other whānau members. At the time, a description of the services being promoted for Māori with special education needs acknowledged the philosophy that "tamariki and rangatahi with special needs and their whānau learn effectively through the provision of culturally competent services, which will ensure mana and tikanga are upheld" (Ministry of Education, 2003, p. 56). 
This chapter will briefly describe how this research was undertaken in kura rumaki and then discuss the findings that emerged. Perhaps not surprisingly, it will show that the staff from the kura who participated in this study, as with all of their students and whānau, had a very holistic and inclusive view of educating all tamariki and rangatahi, especially those with identified special education needs. The conclusion will consider some of the implications of these findings for others and propose that these research outcomes maintain relevance in 2014, a decade later.

year: 2015

title: Sick of social media scrolling?  A behavioural intervention to reduce problematic social media use via smartphone device

authors: Moffat, Zaida

subjects: concurrent multiple baseline design

abstract: Excessive social media use can be problematic, with risks for individuals including compromised health and wellbeing and disruptions to work and personal relationships. Currently there is a lack of empirically supported treatments for reducing problematic social media use. Stinson and Dallery (2023) recently demonstrated the success of a behavioural intervention in reducing social media use with nine university students in Florida. I aimed to conduct an approximate replication of their intervention with university students in New Zealand. I initially administered a modified Internet Addiction Test to 148 participants. Of these, 38 qualified and three completed the behavioural intervention study. Social media use was tracked through the screen time function of each participant’s smartphone. Once a stable baseline was established, participants began an intervention phase. The intervention was contingency management with automated notifications and the selection of three alternative activities. Results of this intervention indicate success in the reduction of social media use for two of three participants. However, a lack of evidence to suggest any increase in the duration of time spent in chosen alternative activities replaced social media use. These results raise further questions regarding the effects of environmental changes on the strength of contingency management reinforcement for participants during this intervention. Identifying key variables in the reinforcement of contingency management that successfully reduces social media use for participants could be beneficial to many groups, particularly students who may use social media to escape academic demands.

text: Sick of social media scrolling?  A behavioural intervention to reduce problematic social media use via smartphone device Excessive social media use can be problematic, with risks for individuals including compromised health and wellbeing and disruptions to work and personal relationships. Currently there is a lack of empirically supported treatments for reducing problematic social media use. Stinson and Dallery (2023) recently demonstrated the success of a behavioural intervention in reducing social media use with nine university students in Florida. I aimed to conduct an approximate replication of their intervention with university students in New Zealand. I initially administered a modified Internet Addiction Test to 148 participants. Of these, 38 qualified and three completed the behavioural intervention study. Social media use was tracked through the screen time function of each participant’s smartphone. Once a stable baseline was established, participants began an intervention phase. The intervention was contingency management with automated notifications and the selection of three alternative activities. Results of this intervention indicate success in the reduction of social media use for two of three participants. However, a lack of evidence to suggest any increase in the duration of time spent in chosen alternative activities replaced social media use. These results raise further questions regarding the effects of environmental changes on the strength of contingency management reinforcement for participants during this intervention. Identifying key variables in the reinforcement of contingency management that successfully reduces social media use for participants could be beneficial to many groups, particularly students who may use social media to escape academic demands.

year: 2025