Family Violence

A Families Commission Research Report in 2009 on family violence notes that Police judged alcohol use to have been a contributing factor among 29 percent of offenders and 15 percent of victims in the family violence incidents they attended in 2006. (Although for a further 10 percent of offenders and 14 percent of victims alcohol use was unknown.)

A report on interpersonal violence in included, using responses from the NZ Crime and Safety Survey (ministry of Justice). Victims of interpersonal violence were asked whether the offender was ‘affected at all by alcohol, and with the following results:

• Victims reported that the offender was ‘affected by alcohol’ in stranger offences (49 percent) and sexual offences against women (44 percent).
• Thirty-seven percent of victims of partner offences said offenders were ‘affected by alcohol’, and 31 percent of victims of offences by people well known to them.

(Click here for the full report.)

A table from the Crime and Safety Survey report published in December 2010 compares findings from the 2006 and 2009 Surveys

See here for links to the Crime and Safety Survey Series. http://www.justice.govt.nz/publications/crime/crime-and-safety-survey

An earlier Families Commission report looking specifically at the impacts on families of heavy drinking. supported the conclusion that relationships exist between heavy drinking parents/caregivers and risk for higher hospital admission rates and higher rates of injuries and poisoning rates for children and adolescents. Click here for the full report which considers a range of additional negative consequences.

A Review of Research for the Campaign for Action on Family Violence clearly stated that “The large body of evidence linking parental alcohol and substance abuse with all types of maltreatment and with the likelihood that a child will be exposed to inter-parent violence suggests a need to make this a primary prevention priority, applying a range of public and community education approaches.” The report adds, “For adults with high levels of alcohol and substance use, for example, it has been recommended that parenting programmes need to be delivered alongside help with substance abuse.”

Click here for the report.

The campaign website for action on Family Violence is http://www.areyouok.org.nz/.
 

References
Families Commission. (2009). Family violence: statistics report. From http://www.familiescommission.govt.nz/sites/default/files/downloads/family-violence-statistics-report.pdf.

Girling, M., Huakau, J., Casswell, S., & Conway, K. (2006). Families and health drinking: impacts on children’s wellbeing: systematic review. Wellington: Families Commission.

Ministry of Justice. (2010). The New Zealand crime and safety survey: 2009: main findings report. From http://www.justice.govt.nz/publications/global-publications/c/NZCASS-2009/publications/global-publications/c/NZCASS-2009/documents/The%20New%20Zealand%20Crime%20and%20Safety%20Survey%202009%20Main%20Findings%20Rep.pdf.