Vision and Guiding Principles

Families/Whanau living free from violence

Principle	Vision
1
All people have a fundamental right to be safe and to live free from violence	The Government has a responsibility to ensure that all people in Aotearoa/New Zealand remain safe and free from violence. Consequently, family violence prevention initiatives must ensure that the safety and well-being of all victims are given paramount consideration.
2
The unique customary and contemporary structures and practices of whanau, hapu - and iwi must be recognised, provided for and fully engaged	The Treaty of Waitangi provides for a unique relationship between Maori and the Crown. In recognition of this and their status as tangata whenua, it is important that approaches to family violence prevention are constructed and implemented with the special interests and needs of whanau, hapu and iwi in mind, and strengthen the ability of whanau, hapu and iwi to control their own development and achieve their own aspirations.
3
Family violence prevention is to be viewed and approached in a broad and holistic manner	At a broad level a multi-faceted approach to family violence prevention is required that addresses all forms and types of violence in families/whanau and is aimed at all levels of prevention (i.e. primary - preventing violence from occurring in the first place, secondary - identifying violence early and intervening immediately, tertiary - preventing violence from reoccurring). A holistic approach to family violence prevention is also required that aims to ensure that appropriate responses are in place to address the needs of the family/whanau as a whole. Similarly, responses to individual members of the family/whanau must also be tailored to comprehensively meet all of their identified needs.
4
Perpetrators of violence in families/whanau must be held accountable for their violent behaviour	Perpetrators of violence in families/whanau are ultimately responsible for their violent actions. Family violence prevention initiatives should therefore encourage perpetrators to accept responsibility for their violent behaviour and for changing their behaviour.
5
There must be a strong emphasis on prevention and early intervention with a specific focus on the needs of children and young people	It is not enough just to respond to and deal with the symptoms of violence in families/whanau. Well designed and targeted early intervention and prevention strategies could lead to significant gains. Such approaches will need to address the underlying factors that facilitate and/or perpetuate violence in families/whanau. Risk factors need to be identified and reduced, if not eliminated entirely. Concurrently, strengths and protective factors also need to be identified and enhanced. Strategies targeted at children and young people should be a priority in order to help break the intergenerational cycle of violence in families/whanau. In addition, the vulnerability of children, in particular, suggests that initiatives aimed at intervening early in children's lives - by educating and supporting their families and caregivers - are also a priority. It is therefore imperative that children's and young people's needs and interests are given special attention in developing and implementing family violence prevention initiatives.
6
Approaches to family violence prevention must be integrated, co-ordinated and collaborative	Cross-sectoral co-ordination, collaboration and communication are essential to providing an integrated and comprehensive approach to family violence prevention.
7
The community has a right and responsibility to be involved in preventing violence in families/whanau	Communities have a collective responsibility to prevent violence in families/whanau. Communities should be encouraged, guided and supported to develop their own local solutions to family violence prevention.
8
The diverse needs of specific populations must be recognised and provided for when developing and implementing family violence prevention initiatives	Effective family violence prevention initiatives need to take into account and be responsive to the diverse needs and particular vulnerabilities of specific population groups (for example, according to age, gender, ethnicity, mental and/or physical health, and social and/or cultural background). These groups, and/or advocates on their behalf, should be encouraged, guided and supported to develop their own solutions to family violence prevention.
9
Family violence prevention initiatives should be continually enhanced as information and better ways of working are identified	Family violence prevention initiatives require ongoing evaluation and improvement as society's needs change and as more effective ways of dealing with violence in families/whanau are identified.