Family violence

A list of our content (including reports, articles, blog posts, and published letters) about reducing family violence.

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. We have completed one audit looking at how well the joint venture on family and sexual violence had been set up.

We recently started another audit looking at how the joint venture (now established as the Executive Board for the Elimination of Family Violence and Sexual Violence) is working with the non-government sector. In 2022/23, we expect to complete this work.

If you or someone you know are experiencing family violence, we suggest visiting www.areyouok.org.nz.

Meeting the needs of people affected by 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.

Working in new ways to address family violence and sexual violence

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.