Hauraki locals get involved in community family violence and sexual abuse projects

Community projects from Hauraki showcase the family violence prevention and intervention work taking place across the region.

The Right2BSafe campaign, developed by Hauraki Child Abuse Prevention Services (CAPS) and funded by the Ministry of Justice's primary prevention of sexual violence fund, is a primary prevention campaign which focuses on the sexual abuse of 5-12 year olds.

The project, now in its second year, has produced a poster campaign which aims to raise awareness and change attitudes and behaviours about child sexual abuse in Hauraki. Hauraki locals including the mayor, parents, Police, health workers, community leaders, teachers, farmers and principals have championed the campaign by appearing on the posters. The posters will be displayed on billboards in Paeroa, Thames, Coromandel, Waihi, and Whitianga. Campaign Project Leader Rachel Harrison says, "Having local people front the campaign sends a message that every person in a community can be part of reducing and preventing child sexual abuse."

The campaign also aims to increase knowledge of the local sexual abuse support services available and provides resourcing to cope with inquiries related to the campaign.

The project report and evaluation (year one) and resource kit for workers receiving calls about child sexual abuse are now available through the New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse database. Rachel Harrison also presented on the campaign at the 2012 National Sexual Violence Prevention Hui, Whai ki te Ara Tika - Imagining the Solution.

Another recent Hauraki local art project involved engaging people around what respectful relationships look like. In Thames, people were invited to write their thoughts on a blackboard to complete the sentence ‘Respect is...’. The project intended to invite community conversation and reflection in a public space and was inspired by a neighbourhood project in New Orleans. 

The Paeroa family violence prevention project, coordinated by the Hauraki Family Violence Intervention Network in collaboration with the It's Not Ok Campaign, raised awareness about the effect of alcohol-fuelled family violence on Paeroa children. The project has published an evaluation report, also now available through the Clearinghouse database.