The Strategy

What is the strategy?

The New Zealand Family Violence Prevention Strategy is the Government's official response to, and framework for implementing, the family violence prevention plan of action released in September 2001. It reinforces the plan of action, the Government's dedication to addressing all forms and degrees of violence, and the Government's commitment to a number of international conventions1 specifically relevant to violence in families/whanau.

The strategy:

  • covers a broad range of controlling behaviours that occur within a variety of close interpersonal relationships;
  • takes a multi-faceted approach to preventing, reducing and addressing violence in families/whanau; 
  • integrates the key sections and elements of the family violence prevention plan of action;
  • builds upon the progress made by government and community organisations in responding to violence in families/whanau;
  • is consistent with current or planned family violence prevention initiatives across the sector; and is linked to a variety of other key cross-sector strategies2

The strategy's vision is to create a society where families/whanau are living free from violence. A set of nine principles has guided its development and are also intended to guide the implementation process and any future approaches to family violence prevention. The strategy sets out five key goals and a number of objectives for achieving those goals, and a five-year implementation plan detailing 18 specific, interrelated areas of action. Most actions are new, some contribute to broader government objectives and are currently underway as part of existing government work programmes (e.g. work associated with improving inter-agency co-ordination, collaboration and communication), and others, though underway as part of existing work programmes, have been refocused to address a particular gap and/or to include a specific family violence prevention component.

Why do we need a strategy?

Family violence in Aotearoa/New Zealand is a significant social issue. It directly affects the well-being of families/whanau and the extent to which they can participate in society. It creates high personal costs for those affected and significant social and economic costs to society as a whole3. Given the indicative level and nature of violence in New Zealand families/whanau and the breadth and complexity of the problem, an integrated, multi-faceted, whole-of-government and community approach to preventing the occurrence and reoccurrence of violence in families/whanau was required. There was also a need to approach family violence in a more comprehensive and co-ordinated way, and to place greater emphasis on prevention and early intervention strategies.

Who was involved in developing the strategy?

The Ministry of Social Development co-ordinated the strategy's development. Other key participants included the Family Violence Focus Group, comprising a number of government and non-government organisations at a national level, and the Family Violence Advisory Committee, which is an independent advisory committee to the Minister of Social Services and Employment. Community organisations have also contributed through community workshops held in Porirua, Whanganui, Christchurch and Thames/Hauraki4, organised feedback sessions, interviews, and written submissions.

How was the strategy developed?

Key tasks for developing the strategy included:

  • establishing an agreed cross-sector framework and a set of core principles to guide the developmental process;
  • gathering a range of perspectives at national, regional and local levels and from a variety of sources5 to identify key issues and gaps in family violence prevention, strategies to address these and priorities for action;
  • undertaking a stocktake of existing family violence prevention initiatives and services to identify gaps and avoid duplicating efforts;
  • analysing and reconciling the information gathered and establishing a vision, key goals and objectives, and a preliminary plan of action;  and
  • arranging and prioritising the identified actions into a five-year framework for implementation, determining responsibilities for leading key areas of action, and establishing preliminary targets and measures.

1. For example, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
2. Such as the Crime Reduction Strategy, Blueprint for the Care and Protection Sector, and the Agenda for Children.
3. For example, Suzanne Snively's 1994 study New Zealand Economic Cost of Family Violence conservatively estimated the potential economic cost of family violence at $1.2 billion a year.
4. Community workshops were held between 20 February and 1 March 2001 and attracted community representatives from a wide variety of government agencies, key sector groups, and family violence prevention service providers.
5. Information sources included an extensive review of national and international literature, four community workshops, interviews with key informants, and written submissions from interested family violence prevention networks.

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