Families Commission

Relationship Services offers personal services and counselling
Barnardos provides family counselling
Youthline has support for young people facing crises (phone 0800 376 633)
Kidsline provides information and telephone counselling for 9 - 13 year olds
Whatsup is a counselling phone line (0800 WHATSUP – 0800 942 8787) for 5 –18 year olds, available midday to midnight, seven days a week, with trained counsellors taking the calls.
The New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse lists New Zealand research on sibling violence
University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) is a US site with information on sibling abuse

How can I minimise the chance of violence?

Minimise the rivalries between your children.

Set ground rules and stick to them. Don't accept name-calling, teasing, intimidating, or hassling behaviour.

Don't give older children too much responsibility for younger children consider using after-school care programmes.

Spend time with your children individually, especially after they've been together.

Take care to resolve conflicts well yourself, and model non-violence.

Teach your children to "own" their own bodies.

Teach them to say "no" to unwanted physical contact.

Be open to discussing sexual issues and problems.

Monitor TV, video games and Internet surfing. Discuss inappropriate media messages or ban poor choices.

How can I minimise the chance of violence?