The Family Violence Poll was conducted between the start of November and mid-December 2006. It was designed as a ‘snap shot’ look at Couch members’ views and knowledge of family violence. In recognising that family violence is a highly complex issue with different meanings to different people, the poll was trying to ‘unpick’ these meanings and find out more about peoples’ understanding of what family violence includes.
The poll comprised a number of tick-the-box and open-ended questions. There were no right or wrong answers to the questions. Many people provided more than one response to each question, including a wide range of individual comments.
Couch members were asked what they thought was the most common form of family violence; what type of action they would take if they knew someone who had experienced family violence; where they could get information and support for those experiencing family violence; and how information on family violence should be provided. Couch members were also asked if they had heard of White Ribbon Day.
Many thanks to the Couch members who completed this poll. We received 1,074 diverse and wide-ranging responses on what constitutes family violence and how and where to get information and provide support to someone experiencing family violence.
The results show that many Couch members think the most common forms of family violence are emotional abuse and neglect towards children (381) and emotional abuse and neglect towards a partner/spouse (378). This result was followed by physical violence towards a partner/spouse (188) and physical violence towards children (110).
Those who responded to the poll also considered that family violence included actions such as yelling, swearing, humiliating, pushing, grabbing, shoving, kicking, biting or hitting a family member, threatening a family member with a weapon, inappropriate, unwanted or forced sexual contact, throwing, smashing, hitting or kicking things, and preventing an adult family member from contacting friends or family. Some people also thought that preventing adult family members from knowing about or having access to family income and saving is a form of family violence.
A number of respondents also provided comments on how to interpret or contextualise the meaning of family violence, and indicated that some of the questions in the poll put categories together that may not necessarily be seen as family violence, eg yelling may not be good behaviour but is it necessarily family violence?
Of those who responded, 1,006 would encourage the person (victim) to seek help and 978 would talk, support and give information to the person (victim). Many respondents also mentioned they would call social service organisations such as the Women’s’ Refuge (921) for advice, call the Police (789) and Child, Youth and Family (594), or get information from doctors and health professionals (704). Couch members also indicated that they would like information about family violence provided through a variety of ways including by doctors, health professionals, radio/TV, posters and pamphlets, newspapers and magazines, social service organisations and the internet. Knowledge of White Ribbon Day was evenly split between members who had heard about it (508) and those who hadn’t (566). A website reference was provided for members who wanted further information.
The majority of Couch members who responded to this poll considered that emotional abuse and neglect towards children (381) and emotional abuse and neglect towards a partner/spouse (378) were the most common forms of family violence. This result was followed by physical abuse towards a partner/spouse (188).
The majority of Couch members thought yelling, swearing at, or humiliating a family members is sometimes (228), usually (349), or always (479) family violence.
1071 Couch members thought pushing, grabbing or shoving a family member is usually (329) or always (548) family violence.
Ninety-four percent of respondents believe kicking, biting or hitting a family member is family violence. However, individual comments were made that care needs to be taken when categorising a child’s “hitting, kicking and biting” as family violence as this could be a stage in a child’s developmental behaviour, and that there is also a big difference between the actions undertaken by a young child and those of a teenager.
Nearly everyone who responded to this question (1,051) thought threatening a family member with a weapon is a form of family violence.
Again, the majority of those who responded to the poll thought inappropriate, unwanted or forced sexual contact with a family member is family violence (1,071).
Couch members considered that throwing, smashing, hitting or kicking things is sometimes (169), usually (315), or always (583) seen as family violence.
Preventing an adult family member from knowing about or having access to family income or savings was identified as a form of family violence by 84 percent of Couch members.
Similarly, 90 percent of Couch members indicated that preventing an adult family member from contacting friends of family is always (438), usually (358), or sometimes (180) a form of family violence.
Couch members recognised family violence as being violence between spouses (1,072), a teenage/adult child and parent(s) (1,057), extended family members (986), someone in a relationship of trust and the person in their care (eg foster child, person with dementia) (958), a caregiver and an adult with a disability (814), a boyfriend and girlfriend (798) and between children (756). However, fewer people thought that violence between co-workers is being a form of family violence (304). There were also comments made about the need to be careful when categorising fighting between young children as family violence.
The majority of those polled would encourage the victim to seek help (1,006) or talk to, support and give the victim information (978). Respondents indicated they would also talk to friends and other family members (683), or call social service agencies (633), the Police (512) and Child, Youth and Family (437) for advice.
Q12: Comments on what ‘other’ action you would take if you knew someone who was experiencing family violence.
Many responding to the poll commented that the action they would take would depend on the circumstances of the violence (ie whether an adult or child was involved) or severity of the violence, and that they would need to know what the overall situation was for the family. A number indicated they would call a church minister or pastor for advice, and if children were involved they would contact the school. Respondents had mixed views on when or whether to call the Police and/or Child, Youth and Family (often it was dependent on individual Couch members’ experiences). Some thought taking action could make the situation worse. A number also expressed concern about the lack of recognition of men’s experience of family violence.
Comments included:
It is wise to find out the cause of any violence, address the big picture and get help for both the victim and the perpetrator.
Assist the person to leave the environment where they were experiencing the family violence eg stay with them while they packed and drive them away, protect them from the abuser if necessary.
Call appropriate authorities if violence was endangering lives.
Choosing to contact other agencies is something I’d do depending in what is actually happening in the family, what form the violence is actually taking.
Each situation is different, would support the victim first, and then consider other options assuming ad adult then they have to choose for themselves. In the case of children likely to raise with someone who could take action.
Would rarely tackle the perpetrator if outside my own family – too risky.
The main reasons Couch members indicated they didn’t think they would take action were not having enough information (144) and being afraid for their own safety and/or family’s safety (124).
Q14: Comments on why you would not take action if you knew someone who was experiencing family violence.
Among their reasons for not taking action, Couch members said that:
Couch members looking for information and support for someone experiencing family violence indicated that they would go to Women’s Refuge for advice (921), followed by Police (789), social service organisations, doctors and health professionals (704), friends and family (617) and Victim Support (601).
There were 2,977 responses concerning the type of information Couch members wanted on family violence, indicating many wanted further information on more than one issue. This included how to talk to children (380) and victims (355) experiencing family violence, how to challenge or talk to a person causing harm (365), the warning signs of family violence (283, statistics on family violence (277), who to go to for help (238), and information on what the Police, Child, Youth and Family and the Family Court can offer (309). However, 515 Couch members indicated they didn’t want to know more about family violence.
Q17: Comments on what other information you would like on family violence.
Couch members also indicated they would like (more) information on:
Respondents’ comments included:
I wish I had known about the silent and invisible forms of violence…
I would not only like to see more of this information to help people in this situation, but also lots more support of families doing well – training for parents before they become parents…
Couch members indicated a wide range of ways for receiving more information on family violence. Most people would use information if it was provided through the radio/TV (865), doctors and health professionals (841), posters and pamphlets (833), newspapers (769), social service organisations (754), the internet (753), and magazines (721). Some respondents also suggested information on family violence could be provided at community events (619) and in the workplace (593).
Couch member knowledge of White Ribbon Day was evenly split between members who had heard about it (508) and those who hadn’t (566).
Conclusion
Thank you again to the Couch members who participated in this poll. The wide-ranging responses to this poll have highlighted the diversity and complexity of our understanding of and responses to family violence in New Zealand.
The Families Commission is leading, with the Ministry of Social Development, a campaign to change attitudes and behaviours towards family violence. We have recently undertaken formative research to support the campaign:
Good research and evaluation will be crucial to guide the development and measure the impact of the campaign. A research plan is currently being finalised by the Ministry of Social Development. The issues raised in this poll will provide some input to the campaign.
For further information on White Ribbon Day please go to www.whiteribbon.org.nz.
If this poll has raised issues on family violence for you, or for a family member or friend, or if you have questions or need support please contact:
Alternatively, you could look up the Family and Community Services National Directory to find a service in your local area.
