From Family Violence:New Zealand Police Response to Family Violence, Sergeant J J Taylor, Police National Headquarters, Wellington, for the NZPHA Conference, Dunedin, June 1995.

The paper discussed the Police campaign on family violence. On effectiveness, it states inter alia:

"Objective 2: To Encourage Reporting

Police records indicate a 43.8% increase in reports of assaults by men on women, compared to 1993 (6,732 reports in 1993 and 9,684 reports in 1994). This is in a year when overall violence increased by 19.6% but total reported crime dropped by 3% (we expected to see an increase in reports of family violence)."

and

"In conclusion: The police believe that the results of the campaign to date show a marked change in attitudes, away from "It's Just a Domestic". We always accepted that we would see an increase in reports of family violence effected in the police statistics."

[Note that data refer to reports of assaults 'by men on women', while the comment is on 'family violence'. Are these taken to be synonymous?]

Some other points:

" ... the key assumptions used by the Police in developing their policy on Family Violence were:

• that the violence was most often perpetrated by men, on women and children."

"In defining family violence the following definitions were used:

• ...
• "VIOLENCE" which is physical, emotional, psychological or sexual, and includes intimidation or threats of violence."

[Note that the definition of violence includes the word 'violence'. I am not sure how a term can be defined in terms of itself. Is threatening to threaten, or threatening emotional 'violence' also violence? Wouldn't 'threatening to leave' count as violence under a strict interpretation of this definition?]

"The Family Violence policy document states that if an offence has been committed and there is SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE,

• the offender be arrested, and
• that the most appropriate charge should be "male assaults female", a Crimes Act offence ... "

[Note that this is a gender specific offence, and that the term 'assault' is used although the definition of violence is broader than just physical.]

" ... if the investigating officer finds that there is insufficient evidence that any offences have been committed, then several steps still need to be taken, namely:

• to ensure the victim is provided with support IMMEDIATELY, ... "

[Note the use of the term 'victim'. I thought that, until there has been a trial and conviction, there could at most be 'alleged' victims and offenders. What has happened to 'innocent until proven guilty'?]

Then, in cases with 'sufficient evidence':

"Once the offender is in custody, he or she is to be kept there until their appearance in Court. ... "

[The term 'offender' is used 3 times in that paragraph, and once in each of the two following paragraphs. The term 'victim' is used on numerous occasions thoughout the document. The word 'alleged' is not used in relation to these. It is acknowledged that 'offenders' could be women, but no data are presented on offences by women, nor on men as victims.]

On the Hamilton Abuse Intervention Pilot Project (HAIPP):

"HAIPP's objectives were to achieve a consistent and co-ordinated criminal justice approach to family violence, ... . HAIPP attempted to achieve these goals through ... and by providing men's and women's education programmes and advocacy services for women."

[There is no mention of advocacy services for men. presumably these were not needed.]

Stuart Birks

27 July, 1995