Family violence: Ōtūmoetai College student organises fundraising day to create awareness

Secondary school students in Tauranga are being encouraged to wear purple and donate a gold coin to support victims of family violence.

Ōtūmoetai College student Robert Unsworth said he founded the “Purple Token Day”, to be held on September 21, to create awareness about the “big problem” of family violence.

“I really went down a rabbit hole of finding all the statistics and all these scary stories on family violence in New Zealand. I feel like lots of people don’t really know the true extent of it,” the 18-year-old said.

Figures from New Zealand Police show police attended 4171 family harm incidents in the Western Bay of Plenty police area in the year ending July 31, 2023. This compared to 2976 incidents for the year ending July 31, 2016.

Ōtūmoetai College student Robert Unsworth is organising a "Purple Token Day" initiative to raise awareness about family violence. Photo / Alex Cairns

Unsworth said he met with former Bay of Plenty-based Labour List MP Angie Warren-Clark to “understand the problem better”.

Before Warren-Clark entered Parliament in 2017, she was the manager of Tauranga Women’s Refuge for about five and a half years. Prior to that, she was a domestic violence adviser for the region.

Unsworth said the pair discussed ideas for initiatives, one of which was a non-uniform day centred around the colour purple. Purple is associated with family violence awareness.

He had spoken to other secondary schools in Tauranga which had committed to participating in the initiative. He hoped to promote it “further” in order to reach schools nationally.

Robert Unsworth said family violence was a "big problem" in New Zealand. Photo / Alex Cairns

Unsworth said it was a student-led initiative targeting students.

“Students in general just don’t get the exposure to this big problem, and I feel like a lot of students aren’t aware of it. What I hope to do is get a new audience to expose them to this problem, and ultimately, create as much awareness [of] it.”

He understood some family violence incidents were reported by neighbours.

“If people are more aware, then they’ll be more active in reporting it.”

Gold coin donations would go to Tauranga charities that supported victims of family violence, he said.

Warren-Clark acknowledged Unsworth for getting the initiative “up and running” as she believed his campaign had the potential to reach schools nationwide.

She said family violence “thrives in silence”.

“It is so important - good men, and young men in particular, standing up and saying, ‘We see you, and this behaviour is not okay.’ And we need to raise awareness about it.”

Warren-Clark said “un-earmarked funds” were “really helpful” for charities, such as the Tauranga Women’s Refuge.

“They can put that money directly into a family [in] need, for example, or a resource in the office.”

Tauranga Women’s Refuge manager Hazel Hape. Photo / Alex Cairns

Tauranga Women’s Refuge manager Hazel Hape said she “commended” Unsworth and his initiative.

“We’re encouraged to see young men express an interest [in] and concern about the safety of women and children in this country.

“We need all members of our community speaking out about ending domestic violence, because we don’t want to be doing this work, but we do it because [in] our current society, there’s a level of thinking that domestic violence is okay.”

Hape said Unsworth’s campaign helped to educate and distribute information about ending violence.

“We need every young boy feeling and talking and speaking like that.”

Ōtūmoetai College acting principal Dave Cleland said a “big part” of the school’s graduate profile was “building powerful learners and universal citizens”.

“We’re really happy when our student leaders take initiative and put what is important to them into action.”

Cleland said Unsworth met with him and the school’s guidance counsellor team about the initiative to ensure the resources were “ready to go” should there be students who needed support with regard to family violence.

How to get help

If you’re in danger now:

• Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours or friends to ring for you. • Run outside and head for where there are other people. Scream for help so your neighbours can hear you. • Take the children with you. Don’t stop to get anything else. • If you are being abused, remember it’s not your fault. Violence is never okay.

Where to go for help or more information: • Women’s Refuge: Crisis line - 0800 REFUGE or 0800 733 843 (available 24/7) • Shine: Helpline - 0508 744 633 (available 24/7) • It’s Not Ok: Family violence information line - 0800 456 450 • Shakti: Specialist services for African, Asian and Middle Eastern women and children. Crisis line - 0800 742 584 (available 24/7) • Ministry of Justice: For information on family violence • Te Kupenga Whakaoti Mahi Patunga: National Network of Family Violence Services • White Ribbon: Aiming to eliminate men’s violence towards women.

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Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.