The People's Inquiry into Addressing Child Abuse and Domestic Violence

172 Pages·2014·1.57 MB·English

The
Pe ple’s
Rep r t
The People’s Inquiry into
Addressing Child Abuse and Domestic Violence
2014

The
Pe ple’s
Rep r t
The People’s Inquiry into
Addressing Child Abuse and Domestic Violence
2014
Prepared by
Denise Wilson and Melinda Webber
Peer reviewed by
Associate Professor Nicola Attwool, Otago University
Ms Marama Davidson
Dr Michael Roguiski – Director, Kaitiaki Research & Evaluation
Published by
The Glenn Inquiry, 2014.
In the interests of furthering public debate on these important issues,
material in this report may be used freely.
ISBN 978-0-473-28939-3
s
t

Chairman’s Foreword 4
n

aCknowledgement oF the PartiCiPants 6
fe
o PreFaCe 8
t exeCutive summary 10
e
n introduCtion 14
l
b seCtion 1: honouring their stories, their lives 19
o
a Children in Violent Homes 20
C Types of Abuse and Violence 25
T
Physical Violence 26

Sexual Abuse 28
Emotional and Psychological Abuse 31
Financial Abuse 32
Normalisation of Abuse and Violence 34
Maintaining Factors 35
Society’s Attitudes 35
Alcohol and Other Drugs 35
System Failures 36
External factors 37
Perpetrators, Victims and Families 38
Sharing Their Experiences and Its Impact 39
Impacts of Child Abuse and Domestic Violence 40
Staying and Leaving 42
Freedom from Abuse and Violence 43
The Experience of Becoming Free from Abuse and Violence 43
Catalysts to become Free from Abuse and Violence 45
Breaking the Cycle 46
Interventions 48
Making a Difference 48
Advice for People Affected 49
Summary 50
seCtion 2: what’s working well 51
Characteristics of People Who Make a Difference 52
Characteristics of Helpful Services 53
Inter-agency Collaboration 53
Education Providers 56
Health Providers 58
Police 60
The Courts 61
THE PEOPLE’S REPORT: THE PEOPLE’S INQUIRY INTO ADDRESSING CHILD ABUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 1
s
t
n
Family Court 61
e
f Lawyers 62
o Child, Youth and Family 62
t
Work and Income 64
en Community Organisations 65
Women’s Refuge 66
l
bo Corrections 66
Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) 67
a
C Summary 68
T
seCtion 3: what’s not working well 69

Characteristics of People Who Make Things Difficult 70
Key Areas Requiring Attention 70
Funding 71
Lack of Inter-Agency Collaboration 73
Communication and Information-Sharing 74
Confidentiality, Privacy and Safety 76
No Right of Complaint or Redress 77
Culture of Drinking 78
Lack of Knowledge about Child Abuse and Domestic Violence 79
Government Organisations 82
Police 82
The Courts – Dysfunctional and Broken 84
Increasing Risks to Safety 86
Flawed Processes 87
Legal Aid 89
People Working in the Courts 92
Child Youth and Family 92
Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) 93
Work and Income 95
Corrections 98
Health 99
Education 101
Community and Non-Government Organisations 104
Women’s Refuge 106
Summary 108
seCtion 4: doing things diFFerently – ideas For Change 109
Zero Tolerance for Child Abuse and Domestic Violence 112
A Multi-Level, Multi-System Strategy and Approach 113
National Strategy 114
Government as Facilitator of Change 115
Education of Professionals and Other Frontline Workers 117
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Inter-Agency Collaboration 117
Major Review of the Court System 118
Child Youth and Family 119
Social and Economic Development 120
Poverty 121
Community and Social Development 121
Attitudinal and Cultural Change 123
People and Families 124
Free, Long-Term Counselling 126
Code of Rights and Independent Complaints System 127
Ma¯ori 127
What is Not Working 129
Institutional Abuse 129
Funding of Community-Based Programmes 131
Kaupapa Ma¯ori Approach to Child Abuse and Domestic Violence 132
Including Tane 133
Trauma-Informed Holistic Approaches 134
Leadership 135
Summary 136
seCtion 5: taking aCtion 137
R: Refining Documentation to Eliminate Inaccuracies, Fragmentation and Errors 138
E: Early Intervention 143
S: Skilled Workforce – It Only Takes “One Champion” to make a Difference 144
P: Prevention via Education, Especially Children – Interrupting the Cycle 147
E: Equitable Approached and Targeted Programmes 151
Men 151
Ma¯ori 152
Migrant Women 153
Partners of Gang Members 153
C: Community Action – How Can Communities Intervene? 154
T: Tying It All Together – Inter-Agency Collaboration 156
Conclusion 158
seCtion 6: aPPendiCes 161
Appendix 1: Panel and Skype Interview Questions 162
Appendix 2: Who Shared Their Experiences? 163
People Affected by Child Abuse and Domestic Violence 163
Frontline Workers 163
THE PEOPLE’S REPORT: THE PEOPLE’S INQUIRY INTO ADDRESSING CHILD ABUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 3
CHAIRMAN’S
Foreword
Child abuse and domestic violence have been My career has been mainly in commercial
occupying the minds of academics and policy- litigation and until I read their accounts I had no
makers for a long time now in New Zealand. appreciation of the scale of the problem from a
Reports have been written, recommendations made, victim’s perspective. As a lawyer and former judge
and money spent, but the statistics keep getting I am very concerned about their experiences in the
worse. Family violence continues to claim many Family Court and an adversarial justice system
lives and ruin many others. Cynics might say the when there are imbalances of power and resources.
Glenn Inquiry is just the latest in a long line of well-
New Zealand leads the world in so many
meaning attempts to solve an unsolvable problem.
endeavours, yet in the family violence area we
To the contrary, I believe it has every chance of
trail badly. However, I know from my 10 years as a
being a real catalyst for change, not least because of
member of the Waitangi Tribunal, which has helped
The People’s Report.
educate the public on Treaty issues, just how much
The report is the first part of the Inquiry’s work New Zealanders are capable of changing their
designing a better system for dealing with attitudes when informed. The report underscores
child abuse and domestic violence. What sets it the importance of a coordinated response to family
apart is the way it has allowed so many victims violence and abuse which involves education as
and frontline workers to tell their stories in an prevention. Participants are right to say that all our
unvarnished way. It gives them a genuine voice children need to know what a healthy relationship
in exposing the strengths and weaknesses of the looks like.
present system. The report does not dictate, rather
I am conscious that some voices do not come
it recites what those most affected by family
forward as strongly as others in the report, such as
violence say happened to them, what worked
people in same-sex relationships, Pasifika, migrants,
and what did not.
the disabled and women in gangs. More work is
When I stepped down from the bench of the therefore required, but The People’s Report is a
Supreme Court in 2010 I wanted to keep making giant start.
a contribution to New Zealand. When Sir Owen
The Inquiry has more work in train toward
Glenn approached me last year to chair the
producing the second stage of its work later this
Inquiry he had set up I was presented with a real
year, a Blueprint that will constitute a new model
opportunity to make a difference in a major area of
for addressing child abuse and domestic violence.
national concern, and therefore had no hesitation in
accepting his invitation.
All this will count for little unless everyone is
prepared to play a part and if those with the real
The Inquiry has the advantage of being truly
influence and power do not listen. We hope this
independent of organs of the state. I can well
report creates debate, and welcome public feedback
understand why victims and people who work in or
about solutions because nobody can claim to have
rely on the current system would be cautious about
all the answers.
coming forward to a government inquiry to point
out the failings of government agencies. Through
I encourage people to exhort their community
the Glenn Inquiry, these people have been able to
leaders and MPs, present and prospective, to take
speak freely and in safety.
notice of the report. I challenge major political
4 THE PEOPLE’S REPORT: THE PEOPLE’S INQUIRY INTO ADDRESSING CHILD ABUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
parties to reach a cross-party accord that commits
them to at least seriously consider the final outcome
of this Inquiry, because a compelling message from
the people’s stories is that the system is failing too
many children and families, and has to change.
I applaud the vision, determination and generosity
of Sir Owen in taking up this cause in a way that
has empowered some of our most wounded and
vulnerable. I pay tribute to patron Dame Catherine
Tizard for bringing wisdom and mana to an Inquiry
where maintaining trust has been crucial to its
work. And I thank the Inquiry Board and staff,
particularly our chief executive Kirsten Rei, for their
efforts and commitment in weathering many storms
in order to complete The People’s Report. My thanks
also to the consultants who have assisted us.
Overall, I am left with an overriding impression of
the courage of those who came forward to speak
to the Inquiry. Their stories verify and reinforce the
calls for change many frontline workers and service
providers have been making for so long.
There has been enough talking; the time has come
for action.
Bill wilson QC
Chairman
the glenn inquiry
THE PEOPLE’S REPORT: THE PEOPLE’S INQUIRY INTO ADDRESSING CHILD ABUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 5
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
of the participants
if the heart of the harakeke (flax plant) was
removed, where will the bellbird sing?
if i was asked, “what was the most important
thing in the world?”
i would be compelled to reply, “it is people,
it is people, it is people!”
6 THE PEOPLE’S REPORT: THE PEOPLE’S INQUIRY INTO ADDRESSING CHILD ABUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE