The launch of new family violence project Tu Mai Awa in Hawke's Bay next weekend comes at a time when the system itself could be thwarting the thousands of people trying to fix the problems.
That's the view of Tu Mai Awa supporter and White Ribbon Trust ambassador Mark Longley, who found his way into the family violence field as he grappled with what to do to make a better society after teenage daughter Emily was strangled to death by obsessed boyfriend Elliot Turner at his parents' home in England six years ago.
Speaking from his home on Auckland's North Shore and headed to Hawke's Bay for next Saturday's launch at Matahiwi Marae, on the outskirts of Clive, career journalist Mr Longley said statistics are inadequate, the number of organisations in the field, while full of committed and seriously concerned people, are far too many and need to be more "cohesive". He also says that while the increased recognition of victims and focus on them is good, there's far too little attention being paid to those likely to become domestic violence offenders.
"One of the things I do is talk in schools about respectful relationships, and you do need to educate men," he said. "A relationship is a two-way thing, and no one is in charge.
"Yes, we do have a big, big problem with family violence, and getting people to talk about it has been a progressive step," he said.