THE DULUTH MODEL AND NEW ZEALAND

The Duluth model is discussed here. What impact has it had in New Zealand? It was influential in the shaping of the Hamilton Abuse Intervention Pilot Project, discussed here and here. It also affects judges' training, as shown in the following extract from New Zealand Parliamentary Debates, Vol. 541, page 1931 (questions on notice, 22 June 1994). Note Elizabeth Tennet's specification of women and children only. Family and domestic violence is assumed to be by men against women and children. (This exchange was reported on New Zealand radio the following day. The same morning there was a report of a woman who stabbed her partner in the neck, 2 cm to one side and it would have been fatal.)

Domestic Violence - Court Judges: Intervention Training

1. ELIZABETH TENNET (Island Bay) to the Minister of Justice: What steps, if any, has he taken to ensure that training in domestic violence intervention, based on the Duluth abuse intervention programme's power and control model, becomes mandatory for family court and district court judges, as recommended by the 1992 Victims Task Force report?

Hon. D A M GRAHAM (Minister of Justice): I am advised that judges now receive training in aspects of domestic violence, including the Duluth abuse intervention programme's power and control model, which was recommended in the Victims Task Force report Protection from Family Violence.

Elizabeth Tennet: Can the Minister confirm that all judges are receiving this training, and how many more women and children will be killed or subjected to violence because of the lack of training of judges, as reported in comments made by judges such as the one who stated in a recent judgment: "It takes two to tango."?

Hon. D A M GRAHAM: I am aware that at the 1993 family judges conference a whole half-day was devoted to family violence issues. It included the presentation of a paper on the Duluth programme. Also, at the 1994 district court judges conference a session was devoted to family violence.

Stuart Birks

21 May 1996