Family Violence Statistics Report released

The Families Commission has brought together all New Zealand’s family violence statistics into one report to establish a baseline against which future trends can be measured.

The Family Violence Statistics Report contains the relevant data from the government and non-government agencies that deal directly with the victims and perpetrators of family violence.

“We have produced this report to improve the accessibility and availability of existing family violence data. It’s part of the Taskforce for Action on Violence within Families programme of action, and supports its whole-of-government approach to combating family violence,” said Chief Commissioner, Dr Jan Pryor.

The report also publishes the latest NZ Crime and Safety Survey information on interpersonal violence.

“Until now there has been no regular reporting process on family violence dedicated to producing statistics that provide a picture of the extent and nature of the issue.

The Family Violence Statistics Report is a reference document that provides a one-stop-shop of the figures that can be drilled into to provide insight into the nature and makeup of family violence in New Zealand.

This publication, and the publication of future editions, will help researchers and policymakers better assess the effectiveness of interventions and identify gaps in information and response.”

“The data covers the four years up to the end of 2006 – before the launch of the "It's not OK" campaign. Our collation of the statistics helps establish a baseline and we recommend that further reports are published at regular intervals so there can be better measurement and monitoring of trends, prevalence and changes in behaviour.

Family violence researcher and senior lecturer at Auckland University’s School of Population Health, Dr Janet Fanslow said “The publication of this report is a significant milestone in New Zealand’s work toward ending family violence. While it is sobering in terms of the number of lives affected by family violence, the information it contains will be invaluable in terms of informing our next steps in combating the problem.“