The numbers

1 in 3 (35 per cent) ever-partnered New Zealand women report having experienced physical and/or sexual IPV (intimate partner violence) in their lifetime

Many victims in the survey had mental health issues.

Of the 698 who sought help from a health professional for self-harm and suicidal thoughts, 77 per cent received a diagnosis, the most common being depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Psychological and verbal abuse were the most commonly reported methods of abuse perpetrated by respondents’ partners or ex-partners, with 96.86 per cent and 95.86 per cent respectively reporting these types of abuse. Seventy-six per cent reported physical abuse and 63 per cent said they were victims of sexual abuse by a partner or ex-partner.

Economic abuse was reported by 65.43 per cent. Some detailed myriad other experiences of abuse, including rape so severe that it caused a miscarriage, stalking, being held captive, the use of statutory organisations to perpetuate abuse (such as through the Family Court), exclusion and isolation, controlling appearance through monitoring of eating or forced surgery, and attempting to infect with HIV.

Eighty-three per cent identified as Pa¯keha¯, with Ma¯ori the second most common ethnicity at 19.64 per cent. The most common age group of respondents was 26-35, followed by 36-45. Ma¯ori were also more likely to have made a suicide attempt.

Both LGB and transgender participants were disproportionately at risk of certain types of abuse, and were more likely than heterosexual and cisgender respondents to have attempted suicide.