City features on abuse list of shame

Rotorua Daily Post

8 Aug, 2013 08:12 PM4 mins to read

Rotorua is featured in a list of the top 10 areas with the highest rate of child abuse.

The Child Poverty Action Group analysed figures on child abuse from Child, Youth and Family offices from 2008 to 2012.

Rotorua was seventh nationally for victims 17 years and under with 529 substantiated cases reported last year. Whakatane recorded the second highest rate with 958 cases, second only to Papakura, Auckland. Taupo was ranked fourth and dealt with 620 substantiated cases last year.

The Child Poverty Action Group have compiled a percentage figure based on population per 100 people. Whakatane stood at 0.035 per cent, Taupo at 0.027 per cent with Rotorua at 0.025 per cent. Papakura had the highest rate at 0.040 per cent.

Report writer and researcher for the group, Donna Wynd, said it came as a surprise that Bay of Plenty featured so heavily in the statistics.

"It just goes to show that people are focussed on places like South Auckland but this isn't just an urban problem.

"The only broad indicator [for the numbers] is that towns like Rotorua, Whakatane and Taupo tend to have a young population."

Emotional abuse was the most common form of abuse nationally at 54.6 per cent while sexual abuse accounted for the smallest proportion at 6.7 per cent. "Although violent child abuse cases resulting in death garner the most public attention, they account for a tiny fraction of child abuse cases," the report stated.

Former chief executive of the Women's Refuge organisation, Merepeka Raukawa-Tait, who is a Rotorua district councillor, said she was not surprised by the results.

"It's a shame but we've had a history of domestic violence, violence in homes and alcohol abuse in the family environment and those things are carried through to the children.

"The focus is now on adults of the families and neighbours to step up and speak out. For every child abused there are six adults that know about it."

Mrs Raukawa-Tait said poverty was a contributing factor.

"We can all cope better when we're not under major financial pressure, where we can meet the bills and buy food. Poverty causes stress and puts a strain on the whole household," she said.

"It's a very large problem in Maori houses but it's not just a Maori problem. Government organisations are certainly doing what they can, it's not a matter of resources.

"It's up to people in the home at night to take responsibility.

"People need to have a zero tolerance and not allow for it to continue and just hope it will all go away - it won't, it will likely get a lot worse."

Mayor Kevin Winters launched the Rotorua Safe Families Action Plan six years ago after the violent death of 3-year-old Nia Glassie.

He said being in the top 10 list was not "particularly where we want to be" but the region had made strides in reporting abuse incidents.

He believed the Minister of Social Development Paula Bennett's White Paper for Vulnerable Children would help provide protection for at-risk children in Rotorua.

"The statistics that we do have from police show that domestic family violence has dropped over the years and with the set up of the Safe Families group there is more sharing of information among Crown agencies and non-government-organisations.

"Previously there was a silo mentality among the agencies and they would cite privacy issues but there's no such thing as privacy when a child has been beaten. But now we are working closely with police, health organisations and all agencies to help tackle this issue head on."

Top 10 Highest Rates of Child Abuse