White ribbons speak against abuse
ON average, Sophie Taele works with about 25 different Dunedin families each week, who are dealing with family violence issues.
The Arai Te Uru Whare Hauora family violence social worker said it was a lot for one person, and there were many others just like her, in organisations around the city, doing the same thing.
‘‘It’s pretty scary, how big this problem is in Dunedin.
‘‘Family violence is so ingrained in New Zealand, and awareness is the key to washing it out.’’
Yesterday, she was one of many around the city raising awareness of family violence on White Ribbon Day, by tying white ribbons to the fence outside Dunedin’s First Church.
‘‘The harm from family violence can be across many levels — from verbal abuse, right up to physical abuse and psychological abuse.
‘‘I think that’s the biggest thing . . . that you realise it’s not just about the physical stuff — it’s psychological abuse as well. Many victims say psychological abuse is worse than physical abuse.
‘‘It can make people who are in a family violence situation feel very isolated.
‘‘Today highlights the fact that this treatment . . . is not OK, that there is help available in a safe place, and that there is light at the end of the tunnel — 100%, there’s always light.’’
This year’s White Ribbon Day campaign focused on the outdated advice men have been given when growing up, that society now sees as unhealthy.
The White Ribbon organisation said the campaign ‘‘takes a conversational tone and uses the common expressions that men would have heard growing up’’.
‘‘These unhealthy attitudes are literally being overwritten with positive statements — creating new, modern alternatives to the outdated ideas of masculinity.’’
AN initiative established to combat family violence in Dunedin celebrated its first birthday yesterday, and already it is starting to have an impact on family harm incidents across the city.
Whangaia Nga Pa Harakeke is based at the South Dunedin Police Station and brings together police, iwi, and social agencies to provide support for people affected by family violence.
The initiative was launched because family harm had become a crisis. Police were responding to between 10 and 12 family harm incidents in the city per day.
Programme manager Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen, of Dunedin, said the programme had grown exponentially from last year, and now had a good collective of 24 nongovernment organisations (NGOs) and government agencies, working together to help families.
‘‘It’s positive. It’s really heartening to see us able to respond postincident, to provide wraparound services and support and navigation to our families that are struggling through tumultuous times.’’
Previously, there were just 3 or 4 different agencies working together to help families.
‘‘But now we have that shouldertoshoulder contact with a partner agency, to discuss a family that needs either parenting advice, or budgeting advice or life skills.
‘‘Instead of it being over the phone, it can now be a facetoface conversation about how we can support this family.’’
Snr Sgt Dinnissen said some of the assistance Whangaia Nga Pa Harakeke had been able to provide, had reduced repeat calls to families.
‘‘That’s a long process. Some will take longer to accept the help, because there are still barriers in society to acknowledging family harm, but we’re seeing improvements.’’
Whangaia Nga Pa Harakeke is gradually being introduced throughout the country, albeit in slightly different ways to match the needs of each community.