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Tag Archives: Domestic Violence

Glenn Inquiry into Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Seeks Community Input

January 23, 2013 2:40 pm ⋅

In July last year Owen Glenn announced that he would fund an independent inquiry to establish why domestic violence and child abuse remains such a major problem in New Zealand and to identify what needs to be done to address this issue.

If you have personal experience of child abuse or domestic violence or work with those who do the Glenn Inquiry team would like to hear from you!

Visit their newly launched website for more information at www.glenninquiry.org.nz

Follow the link below to check out the first newsletter from the Glenn Inquiry https://glenninquiry.org.nz/uploads/files/TheGlennInquiry_Newsletter.pdf

 

 

Posted in: Community Participation, Families/Whanau, Human Rights and Legal Issues, News, Older People and Aging, Parents and Parenting, People with Disabilities, Service-User Movement, Social Change, Young People and Youth Issues ⋅ Tagged: , , , ,

Law Change to Acknowledge Economic Abuse

December 10, 2012 8:45 pm ⋅

‘Economic abuse’ to be put on par with domestic violence

Women’s Refuge says a law change to put economic abuse – such as excessive control over the purse strings – on a par with violent abuse will help to counter the view that only physical abuse amounts to domestic violence.

“Economic abuse” will be included in the definition of domestic violence in major reforms to the Family Court which went before Parliament last week.

Examples of economic abuse include restricting access to money, extorting or spending someone else’s money, or preventing someone from working.

Link to The NZ Herald: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10851760

Posted in: Families/Whanau ⋅ Tagged: , , , , ,

Blow the Whistle on Domestic Violence

September 10, 2011 10:53 am ⋅

Watch the Blow the Whistle Campaign Video here.

The ‘Blow The Whistle‘ campaign is a Mental Health Foundation initiative highlighting the Rugby World Cup event as a way of drawing attention to domestic violence, one of the main causes of mental health trauma in our society today.

It is also widespread.  One in three women said they had experienced family violence in their lifetimes as part of a 2004 study interviewing over 2000 women in Auckland and the Waikato (1).

Another more recent US study (August 2011) showed that if a woman was exposed to 3 or 4 types of violence (like  rape, sexual assault and stalking), the rate of mental disorders went up by 77.3%: for anxiety it went up by 52.5%, for mood disorder 56.2%, and suicide attempts went up 34.7%

When it comes to big sports events like the Rugby World Cup, the amount of violence against women and children goes up! A recent report from the United Kingdom states that incidents of family violence increase by as much as 30% on the days of England’s fixtures during the 2006 FIFA World Cup (3). A recent NZ paper states ‘…for some women and children, the Rugby World Cup may bring increased risks of violence, abuse and neglect’.(4)

So the risk to mental health issue is big and it’s likely to get bigger once the Cup is underway!

What can we do?

  • Talk about it where you work or within groups you run.
  • Put up posters: order them free from info@blowthewhistle.org.nz . There are also some whistles and coasters available at a cost.
  • Write a letter to the local newspaper
  • Support the campaign at any matches you attend.

Go to  www.blowthewhistle.co.nz for more information.

References:

  1. Fanslow J, Robinson E. Violence against women in New Zealand: prevalence and health consequences. N Z Med J. 2004;117(1206).
  2. Rees S Silove D et al. (2011) Lifetime Prevalence of Gender-based Violence in Women and Relationship with Mental Disorders and Psychosocial Function JAMA  August 3 2011– Volume 306, No 5
  3. Palmer C (2011) Violence Against Women and Sport: A Literature Review Trust for London
  4. Hager D. Woolson Neville D (2011) ‘Mitigating the risk of men’s violence against women increasing during the Rugby World Cup ‘ retrieved from http://www.2shine.org.nz/sports-and-domestic-abuse
Posted in: News ⋅ Tagged: , ,