As always, it's important we put these factors into perspective. Covid-19 does not cause family violence.
Lockdowns don't cause family violence. They are what we call side factors like alcohol, mental health and anger issues. They don't cause family violence either. They can however, create an environment in which family violence is more prevalent or likely to happen – but they are not the root cause.
At Taranaki Safe Families Trust, we are passionate about continuing the family violence prevention campaign in Taranaki in 2021.
We are strong advocates for community collaboration, connecting whānau with relevant services and challenging the systems in place that allow family violence to thrive. We do that in the hope that Taranaki families will be safe and free from violence. But we can't do it by ourselves. We need everyone to join us on this journey.
It's important to remember that community issues need a community response. We can all make a difference and we have to be relentless in our pursuit for safer families. We must keep going.