Monika Lovelock, a registered psychologist and neuropsychologist in training, has called for urgent attention to safety practices at the skatepark.
“Kids will be kids, naturally pushing boundaries and testing limits as they grow and explore,” said Lovelock, a mother with a young son who enjoys biking and scootering.
“I understand firsthand the attraction of wheels for young people, and I also understand the importance of ensuring their safety.”
New Zealand law mandates helmet use for cyclists on the road, but that requirement does not extend to scooter and skateboard use at skateparks.
“Yet skateparks with their ramps and high jumps often present even greater risks of serious head injury than road riding,” Lovelock said.
“This isn’t about wrapping our children in cotton wool. Risk-taking is a natural and important part of development, but the risk we see here is the potential for a head hitting concrete from a few-metres-high jumps. That’s a risk with potentially catastrophic consequences.”
Lovelock said a witness to Monday’s incident told her the boy “was unable to move [after he landed] and an ambulance was called immediately”.
“I feel this is such an important reminder of the potential dangers and the impact it has – not only on the injured child, but also on the other children who witnessed this traumatic event.”
Lovelock said brain injury, including concussion, was often an invisible injury with far-reaching effects on a child’s development and overall well-being.
“We tend to focus on visible injuries, but a blow to the head can result in a complex range of difficulties – from changes in mood and cognitive function to physical challenges and even the onset of depression.
“Concussion, in particular, can be easily overlooked or dismissed, with children going home after a fall without anyone, including themselves, fully realising the extent of the injury.”
Tairāwhiti Adventure Trust runs the park, and trust representative Amy Spence said they did their best to encourage helmet use.
“But it’s not a legal requirement.”
A large sign at the Grey St entrance outlines the rules for use of the park, and it includes the recommendation that helmets be worn, with knee and elbow pads and wrist guards.
“Whenever we have a competition at the park, all under-16-year-olds are required to wear a helmet before they compete.”
Spence said police were called about Monday’s incident.
“The trust advocates and recommends, puts signs up and leads by example around helmet use, but ultimately it’s the users and their guardians’ decision to wear a helmet,” trust member Haimona Ngata said.
“Just like it’s their decision to use the different aspects of the skatepark, where we recommend users to skate/ride within their skill/ability levels.
“The skatepark is not a daycare or a drop-off place for children, so their parents can go off and do something else, which we see happen all the time,” Ngata said.
“We need parents to be vigilant, insist that their child wears safety gear, take some responsibility and mind their children at the skatepark.”
Lovelock said there appeared to be a “lack of consistent supervision at the skatepark,” which she said raised questions about the safety environment for young users.
“We need to ask ourselves, are we waiting for the worst to happen?”
Spence said the trust had a supervisor in place at the park from Wednesday to Sunday.
“That is based on the allocation of minimal funding the trust receives from GDC [Gisborne District Council] for the supervisor role.
“The trust has provided helmets and safety equipment to park users over the years, but has had boxes of safety equipment stolen and vandalised.”
Ngata said having further supervision at the skatepark came down to available funding.
Lovelock said she was passionate about raising awareness of the risks of brain injury in young people and was an advocate for proactive steps to prevent such incidents.
“Our children are our future, and we have a responsibility to provide them with safe environments to play and develop.
“Implementing mandatory helmet use and ensuring appropriate supervision at the Gisborne skatepark are crucial steps to protect our tamariki and rangatahi from preventable, potentially life-altering brain injuries.”
