Family violence is widely recognised as a complex problem. It persists despite the efforts of successive governments, many government agencies, and the numerous community organisations working with those who are either harmed by, or perpetrators of, violence.
In 2019/20, we started a multi-year programme of work to examine what public organisations are doing to reduce family violence and sexual violence.
If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence, we suggest visiting www.areyouok.org.nz.
27 May 2025: We asked the Interdepartmental Executive Board for the Elimination of Family Violence and Sexual Violence (Te Puna Aonui) and its member agencies for an update on their responses to recommendations we made in 2021 and 2023 about work to eliminate family violence and sexual violence.
27 June 2023: We published a report in 2021 that described how effectively a joint venture involving 10 government agencies had been set up to support efforts to reduce family violence and sexual violence. In this report, we look at how the government agencies are working individually, together, and with tangata whenua, communities, and non-government organisations to understand and respond to the needs of people affected by family violence and sexual violence.
12 July 2022: We’re looking at how effectively agencies involved in a cross-government effort to eliminate family violence and sexual violence are working together and with non-government organisations, tangata whenua, and communities to meet the needs of people affected by family violence and sexual violence.
We asked Carswell Consultancy to carry out a literature review of research and evaluation reports from the previous decade on family violence and sexual violence in New Zealand.
July 2021: We asked Carswell Consultancy to carry out a literature review of research and evaluation reports from the previous decade on family violence and sexual violence in New Zealand.
June 2021: In September 2018, the Government announced the formation of the Joint Venture for Family Violence and Sexual Violence. The joint venture is accountable for significantly reducing family violence and sexual violence and involves new ministerial arrangements, new public service governance arrangements, and new ways for agencies to work. We carried out a performance audit of this new way of working.
28 July 2020: Family violence and sexual violence affect hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders every year. The consequences for individuals and communities are widespread, and have enduring social, cultural, and economic costs. Despite sustained efforts over many years, New Zealand has yet to achieve improvement in outcomes.
Responses to our recommendations about agencies’ work to address family violence and sexual violence
