By Margot
Shanahan
It is estimated approximately 15 percent of children are born at risk of abuse, and over 80,000 children witness family violence each year, according to the Child Protection Services (CPS).
This makes New Zealand’s child abuse rate one of the worst in the world.
The number of recorded family violence cases is increasing rapidly. This does not necessarily mean more family violence cases are happening, but police are now making a stronger effort to record them.
Currently, New Zealand Police have over 6,000 child abuse cases open. The statistics in relation to child abuse over the last ten years are harrowing.
Between 2000 and 2004, 39 children were murdered due to family violence related incidents. In 63.4 per cent of these murders, the perpetrator was male.
Often in child abuse cases people assume the perpetrator is male, but in 2 out of 5 instances, this is not the case. In the last few years, violent attacks on children by women have been on the rise.
According to the Ministry of Social Development’s 2005 Social Report there are at least twenty confirmed cases of child abuse and/or neglect in New Zealand every day, resulting in an average of seven deaths due to child abuse every year.
In 2008, 74,785 children were found at family violence incidents when police were called. Each of those children have suffered emotional, and potentially physical, harm. For a large number of these children, they are given no support post-incident to overcome the emotions they are faced with.
A fourteen year old girl who suffered physical abuse from her father until the age of twelve stated, “I never wanted to come home after school. I would hear my parents yelling at each other at night time, and I would have to look after my little brother and keep him safe.”
Fortunately, the girl, who wishes to remain anonymous, her younger brother and their mother were able to escape the grasps of their father before any serious damage was made. However, both the children have received counselling to overcome the emotional distress bought on by the years of abuse.
“We were very lucky to get away when we did.”
Statistics from the report make worrying reading:
- Since 1999 the number of applications for a protection order put forward has dropped, as has the percentage of applications accepted by the court.
- In 2007 alone, 12,191 care and protection applications were placed under the Children Young People and their Families Act, concerning over 18,194 children across the country.
- In 2008, 863 charges for assault on a child were prosecuted. Only 49 percent of the criminals were convicted. 440 cases were either dropped, or the perpetrators were discharged without conviction.
- In 2004, five children, aged between four weeks and one year old died due to assault. Another nine children between the age of one and 14 also died due to assault in 2004.
- In 2007 and 2008, over two thousand children were utilising government safe houses. Average stays lasted nineteen days. 53 percent of these children were Maori, 30 percent Pakeha, 9 percent Pacifika and the remaining 13 percent were made up of other ethnic minorities. Proof that child abuse is not only confined to one race, but crosses all social and cultural barriers.
Children are getting emotionally, physically and sexually abused and approximately 4,500 children are being neglected each year. These children are not receiving the care and emotional support required for normal healthy development. This could impact their lives in years to come.
Campaigns such as ‘Extra Ordinary Dads’ and ‘Many Voices, One Purpose’, instigated by JIGSAW, a New Zealand organisation that focuses on the wellbeing of children, are bringing together people from across the country for one cause – to bring about a beautiful future for our children.
Organisations such as JIGSAW are also helping parents to learn strategies which allow them to become better role models for their children, and reduce the unnecessary violence seen in so many New Zealand homes.
Margot Shanahan is working with UNICEF as part of the 3Youth project, an upcoming section of the 3 News website focusing on social issues and written by young people.