Child Abuse New Zealand

Focus Question One:

What is the impact child abuse has had on New Zealanders?

Answer

New Zealand has one of the highest rates of abuse against children per population and police are called to family violence cases on an average of 200 times a day nationally, police also estimate that only 18% of child abuse cases are reported. It is estimated that 15% of children are born at risk of child abuse and at least 70,000 children witness child abuse each year. Although many people have the perception that child abuse is a physical act, many children suffer from neglect and emotional torment that leaves children feeling rejected and could cause them to develop mental health illnesses and leave them with a false idea of how they should or deserve to be treated, their internal working model usually projects children's outcomes for their adults lives. 84% of those arrested for family violence are men; 16% are women, the rate of women's violence against children has increased in the past few years. According to Margot Shanahan from UNICEF NZ, children living in poverty or in a low-income environment are at higher risk of being subject to child abuse. This means that the 270,000 children that live in poverty are potentially at higher risk. Child abuse does not only harm a child in a physical or emotional way but can sometimes go to the extent where a child's life is lost. Between 2000- 2004, 39 children were murdered due to family violence related incidents, which is an average of seven deaths per year. The deaths in 2004 consisted of five children between the ages of four weeks- one year and nine children between the ages of one- 14 years. All...