NZFVC Quick Reads: 6 September 2024


Fri 06 Sep 2024

This Quick Reads covers: • New resources for responding to young people's concerning sexual behaviour • New research on men's behaviour change programmes • Changes to Whaikaha and funding for disabled people’s services • Infographics depicting the experiences of victim-survivors of violence

NZFVC Quick Reads: 6 September 2024

Welcome to our Quick Reads format. Each week we share selected news bites relevant to family violence and sexual violence in Aotearoa. See all past NZFVC Quick reads.

Press Pause - new website for adults supporting young people in Aotearoa

Press Pause is a new website designed to help adults understand, recognise, and respond to concerning sexual behaviour in young people. The website is aimed at adults in positions of responsibility for young people, including professionals, concerned parents and family members. The website contains 6 modules aimed at equipping adults to respond effectively to concerning sexual behaviour in young people. The 6 modules are: boundaries, online behaviour, pornography, sexualised images, sexualised language, and unwanted sexual touch. Press Pause was developed by Stop in Ōtautahi and was funded by the Ministry of Social Development. 

Australia research on what makes men’s behaviour change programmes work

Monash University in Melbourne, Australia have released, Engaging in Change: A Victorian study of perpetrator program attrition and participant engagement in men’s behaviour change programs (2024). Researchers interviewed men who had engaged in behaviour change programmes, their family members, and practitioners who deliver these programmes. The report’s authors wrote an article for the Conversation summarising their findings in which they state that men’s behaviour change is a nuanced process influenced by readiness, motivation, referral pathways, and support systems. 

Changes to Whaikaha and funding for disabled people’s services

Following the Independent Review of Disability Support Services (2024) the government has made a series of decisions affecting the future of Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled People and funding for disabled people’s services. The review made 7 recommendations which the government has committed to implementing. A number of the recommendations related to the funding and monitoring of Needs Assessment and Service Coordination organisations, Enabling Good Lives sites, residential care, and providers. Alongside this commitment, the government announced their plans to transfer Disability Support Services to a new business unit within the Ministry of Social Development, and to create a standalone government department for the rest of the Ministry of Disabled People. This entity will provide leadership and stewardship for disabled people across government.

Infographics from Backbone Collective

The Backbone collective has released 4 infographics highlighting the reality of unhelpful and unsafe systems, and system responses faced by many victim-survivors in their efforts to seek help to become safe. The infographics and their explainers can be viewed and downloaded for free from The Backbone Collective’s website.

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