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Beyond Zero Tolerance: Key issues and future directions for family violence work in New Zealand

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Overview

Family violence is a key issue for the Families Commission. Its role is to research, advocate and promote understanding of the issues relating to families. Underpinning all its work is a strong commitment to the development of a culture that does not tolerate violence.

It commissioned a study that would provide an overview of family violence in New Zealand. Highly respected New Zealand family violence researcher, Janet Fanslow, was asked to provide a theoretical framework which could be used to guide future work and interventions that would prevent family violence. The framework has also been designed to provide a clearer understanding of the interface between the different sectors of the community and the importance of a sustained response in multiple sectors, across multiple ecological levels (all sectors of society and communities).

Her report states that most of the work done in New Zealand to date has focussed on responding to the known perpetrators, victims and their children. She believes it is now time to put more energy and thought into changing the culture around family violence to one that promotes positive, healthy relationships.

To achieve this, she suggests there needs to be common and clearly articulated goals within all sectors, and all sectors need to collaborate to establish priorities for responding to family violence. The response itself needs to use a mix of new and existing initiatives that promote healthy relationships in all areas of society, from homes, schools, churches, communities through to the mass media, central and local government.

She urges strategic thinking and the wise use of resources to make sure the work is based on a clear assessment of the current environment and that projects are scaled to match the capability of each sector. For example, the media and the faith communities do not have a well developed understanding of how they might work to address family violence. Any suggestion of an extensive programme of work for either of these sectors would be a mistake. However small projects could pave the way for the larger, long term goals.

Because of the wealth of existing material Janet Fanslow suggests no further work is needed to review existing research. Nor is there a need to develop yet more strategies.

Her recommendations include:

  • development of understanding of the risk and protective factors that are associated with both victims and non victims, perpetrators and non perpetrators
  • introduction of a range of new tools that measure the prevalence of family violence and to track the success of the various interventions and preventative strategies
  • specialist family violence practitioners should develop more refined and specific programmes for victims and perpetrators, for instance victims with mental health issues, perpetrators with substance abuse problems
  • support further investment and activity in primary prevention, particularly at the institutional, community and societal levels
  • consider gender and cultural issues in developing responses
  • balance the need to provide services with the need to invest in prevention
  • invest more in the research infrastructure and consider ways in which to foster collaboration rather than competition
  • identify and/or develop new mechanisms for tracking change at the family/relationship, institutional, community and societal ecological levels,

The report also suggests leadership to guide a culture change could come from the Taskforce for Action on Violence within Families and the Ministerial Team. The taskforce membership is made up of the heads of various government and independent agencies and the report suggests the taskforce could be used as the coordinating agency for the initiatives. The Families Commission is represented on this taskforce by its Chief Commissioner Rajen Prasad. The Ministerial Team is made up of the government ministers of Health, Social Development, Police, Justice, and CYF (Child Youth and Family).

This report is just one of several Families Commission initiatives on issues related to family violence. Commission staff are already planning work around one of the recommendations to develop a tool for measuring the prevalence of family violence. Staff are also working with ACC, and the Ministry of Social Development on a project to develop a family violence prevention resource toolkit for agencies working within the sector. The Commission is also supporting the National Network of Stopping Violence Services Call for Action conference in October and Chief Commissioner Rajen Prasad will be one of the key conference speakers.

This work and that of this report is set against a background of statistics that paint a grim picture of family violence in New Zealand.

Family violence is made up of physical, sexual and psychological abuse and includes children, partners and older people.

Different figures from various studies in recent years show:

  • 116 children hospitalised in one year as a result of assault
  • Around four or five children killed each year
  • Around 32,000 care and protection notifications to CYF, 7,400 of these cases were assessed as involving abuse or neglect
  • 18 percent of all children are sexually abused, with the figure much higher for girls at 25-30 percent
  • four percent of all children experience harsh or severe physical punishment
  • Around 13 women are killed each year
  • Almost 300 women are hospitalised each year as a result of assault
  • Police receive around 45,000 calls a year to incidents involving family violence each year
  • Police record around 12,000 family violence related assaults each year
  • Almost 14,000 women and 10,000 children are assisted each year by women's refuges
  • 26 percent of women and 18 percent of men can expect to experience partner violence during their lifetime
  • Around three people aged 65 or over are killed each year
  • 38 people aged 65 were hospitalised in one following an assault

However, this is just the tip of the iceberg with the New Zealand National Survey of Crime Victims 2001 showing that only 18 percent of partner violence is actually reported. Much more information is needed to help address and prevent family violence.

In the conclusion of her report, Janet Fanslow says despite the figures and the issues linked to the growing gap between rich and poor New Zealand is in an excellent position to embark on a culture change. She points to the sound legislative base, a health system that is starting to take family violence seriously, a strong NGO voice, and more government will to act on the problem than there has been present in recent years. By international standards New Zealand has a small, well-resourced population, with high levels of education. This all provides a very good point from which start discussing what type of society people want and how to achieve it.

If there is to be a change in culture where well functioning relationships are the norm, society must discuss its goals and approach the task in a sustained, comprehensive and conscious way.

Janet Fanslow advises patience, saying it takes time to shift large interconnected systems, plan and implement sustained investment and measure the incremental changes along the way.

The Families Commission intends to play its part by working to highlight issues; advocate for families; support, and where applicable, initiate public education programmes; carry out research to improve understanding; and provide effective policy advice.