He kōrero nā Nancy Swarbrick

Te āhua nui: Poster for White Ribbon Campaign

Family violence can take many forms, including physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse. It can also include threats and enforced isolation.

Family violence can involve people in any close relationship, including partners or ex-partners, family members, someone living in the same household, such as flatmates, or even someone providing support. It can includes elder abuse,child abuse and neglect.

It is mostly men who appear before the courts and social services for violently abusing women and children.

Family and friends may not know the abuse is occurring. Victims can develop trauma symptoms such as depression.

In 2022/23 the New Zealand Police conducted nearly 178,000 investigations relating to family violence. Fifty-five per cent of those who were violent towards females were partners, ex-partners, boy/girlfriends or ex-boy/girlfriends.

19th century

In the 19th century women were considered inferior to men. Many people thought a husband had the right to physically discipline his wife. Domestic violence was widespread. Some women took their husbands to court for abusing them, but most married women were dependent on their husbands financially and would have had no money if the man was sent to jail. This discouraged women from reporting abuse.

Changing attitudes to violence

Domestic violence was often tolerated by society and police were reluctant to intervene in domestic disputes. Suffragists struggling for women's right to vote highlighted the relationship between alcohol and domestic violence. Organisations that spoke out against violence against women included the Women's Christian Temperance Union, founded in 1885, the Society for the Protection of Women and Children, formed in 1893, and the National Council of Women of New Zealand, established in 1896.

In the 1970s the women’s movement identified domestic violence as an important issue. Feminists set up women’s refuges and rape crisis centres. From 1973 women living alone with dependent children could receive the domestic purposes benefit. Women with violent partners could leave and support themselves. In 1985 rape within marriage became a criminal offence.

Law and policing changes

Under the Domestic Protection Act 1982 a person who used or threatened violence against their partner or children could be arrested and held for 24 hours. A separated person stalked by their ex-partner could get a protection order from the courts.

In the 1980s police began to arrest violent offenders rather than wait for the victim to make a complaint.

In 1995 law changes extended domestic-violence offences to include abuse by same-sex partners, flatmates, carers and other family members.

Legislation did not always protect people from domestic violence – between 1995 and 2007, more than 200 women and children died in domestic-violence incidents.

21st century

In the early 21st century domestic violence remained a major problem in New Zealand.

There is considerable ongoing research into family violence, and there are a range of groups committed to ending it. Government reports on family violence were produced and new legislation was developed to provide better ways of responding to family violence and addressing recurrent violence. 

A major overhaul of legislation resulted in the Family Violence Act 2018. This broadened definitions of family violence and recognised that coercion may occur without physical injury being inflicted. Changes to a number of other acts helped ensure the sector responsible for fighting family violence worked together more effectively.