NZFVC Quick Reads: 11 November 2024

NZFVC Quick Reads: 11 November 2024

Welcome to our Quick Reads format. Each week we share selected news bites relevant to family violence and sexual violence in Aotearoa. See all past NZFVC Quick reads.

New report published on Chinese cultural understandings of abuse of older people

A new report has been published, Cultural understandings of abuse of older people: Perspectives from the Chinese community (2024). This research was funded by the Ageing Well National Science Challenge and involved 34 individual and group interviews conducted with older Chinese adults, family carers, and practitioners.

Survey on future disability support services

The Disability Support Services Taskforce has released a survey asking how support services should best be provided in the future. There are three main question areas:  

• overall disability support services 

• needs assessments and the allocation of support 

• flexible funding and eligibility and what funding can be used for.

The survey can be completed online. Alternative formats are available. The survey will remain open until Friday 22 November 2024.

Understanding Policing Delivery phase two research published

The Understanding Policing Delivery (UPD) Independent Panel and the Police have released Kia Tika Ai, Kia Tōkeke Ai: Make Fair and Just Decisions (2024), the report from the second phase of the UPD research. This report employed a qualitative approach and provided insights into how the inequities highlighted by Phase 1 are experienced by different communities and Police, including their impacts and what would make a difference. As part of this research, UPD researchers engaged with: 

• tāngata whaikaha;

• D/deaf and disabled people;

• wāhine Māori who experience family harm;

• people who have experienced significant mental distress;

• Takatāpui and members of the rainbow community;

• gang whānau; and

• some Police sites of innovation. 

The UPD research team stated that they deliberately focused on gathering voices not typically heard. Police issued a media release summarising the report’s findings and recommendations. 

Paper on stalking from Family Violence Subject Matter Experts for the National Mortality Review Committee

The Family Violence Subject Matter Experts (FV SMEs) for the National Mortality Review Committee have released Findings from Family Violence Death Review data relating to stalking: January 2020 - June 2024 (2024). The paper was prepared to assist in the development of new legislation to make stalking a criminal offence. Te Puna Aonui held a webinar to share the paper's findings which is available online. The Government has also recently announced that stalking is to become illegal and a jailable offence. RNZ has recently covered the issue, A push to make stalking illegal in New Zealand.

This is Aotearoa – Sharing stories of Aotearoa to promote wellbeing relaunch

This is Aotearoa has relaunched their campaign with a new website, following on from its predecessor, Aotearoa Humanity Project. This is Aotearoa is a communications initiative dedicated to promoting and enhancing wellbeing through storytelling. These stories are designed to highlight evidence-based protective factors known to promote wellbeing. The searchable website contains over 1000 videos on topics such as family, community, loneliness, stress, and alcohol and drugs. Each month new stories are added. An introductory video is available on YouTube. This is Aotearoa was funded by ACC’s Violence Prevention programme.