LOCAL GOVERNMENT TOOLKIT SAFE FAMILIES, THRIVING COMMUNITIES FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT LOCAL GOVERNMENT TOOLKIT SAFE FAMILIES, THRIVING COMMUNITIES 01 This toolkit gives: Examples of local government It’s not OK initiatives A summary of the campaign Tips on how to be involved Information about what the It’s not OK team can provide. 02 Local Government The It’s not OK campaign It’s not OK is a community-driven campaign to reduce family violence in New Zealand. Its goal is to change attitudes and behaviours that tolerate any kind of family violence. The campaign works in partnership with hundreds of communities, with Police, sports clubs, businesses, faith leaders, family violence networks and more, to help people step up and create change in their own communities. What success is the campaign having? Research and evaluation show that the campaign has increased awareness of family violence, and enabled behaviour and attitude changes at the individual, families/ whänau and community level. More New Zealanders are seeking help and more people believe they can help others to change. “Working with the national campaign team, Orongomai Marae, our local family violence network and other community groups ensured we had the right messages and the right people on board to start making some real change in Upper Hutt. Seeing now how many people are talking about it, marching about it, and wanting to work together to address family violence has been inspiring.” Wayne Guppy, Mayor Upper Hutt 04 INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE DEATHS ARE PERPETRATED ¼ BY WOMEN ¾ BY MEN ONE IN SEVEN YOUNG PEOPLE REPORT BEING HARMED ON PURPOSE BY AN ADULT AT HOME EXPERIENCE PHYSICAL AND/OR SEXUAL ABUSE FROM A PARTNER IN THEIR LIFETIME 1 IN 3 WOMEN 6% OF MEN 24% OF WOMEN HAVE EXPERIENCED ONE OR MORE SEXUAL OFFENCES IN THEIR LIFETIME Family violence • It happens in all communities. • People of any age, ethnicity, socio-economic group, gender, faith group, sexuality or age can, and do, experience family violence. • It includes de facto, dating relationships, same sex-partners, ex-partners, flatmates, siblings, wider whänau such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, and caregivers. • People hide the violence in their homes due to feeling shame and guilt. In NEw Zealand 13 women 10 men and 9 children ARE KILLED EVERY YEAR AS A RESULT OF FAMILY VIOLENCE areyouok.org.nz 0800 456 450 07 John Tregidga, Mayor Hauraki District Council. I AM PROUD WHEN I TRAVEL AROUND THE COUNTRY AND‘LOCAL CHAMPIONS’ SEE ON BILLBOARDS PROMOTING ‘IT’S NOT OK IN OUR TOWN’ MESSAGES AND I HOPE THAT THIS TOOLKIT WILL ASSIST IN SPEEDING UP THE CAMPAIGN IN YOUR TOWN! 08 Local Government can create change Between 2007 - 2015, 28 councils and mayors across New Zealand stood alongside their communities to say that family violence is not OK, but that it is OK to ask for help, and to help others in their community. Mayors and councils can be highly influential in leading and initiating family violence prevention efforts. Their voices as leaders are strong and respected across businesses, schools, community organisations as well as with families. “When the Police came to me with increasingly alarming family violence statistics I listened to their concerns about my own community. I knew something had to be done. As a mayor I was in a unique position to help raise the profile of family violence and its effects; so I did.” 11 We all have a role to play in preventing family violence Wayne Guppy Mayor of Upper Hutt City Upper Hutt City Council has been involved in family violence prevention since 2009. This has included billboards featuring well-known locals such as Cory Jane and Frankie Stevens and supporting family violence prevention events. The Defence Force based at Trentham in Upper Hutt joined the local campaign, developing their own billboards and posters featuring champions from each of the three services within the NZ Defence Force. Posters and brochures were distributed to personnel and online information about family violence warning signs was made available. Faith leaders In 2014 Mayor Wayne Guppy built on previous initiatives by leading a Mayor’s Forum for Faith Leaders. This was a call to local faith leaders to attend workshops and on-going discussions to explore how they could get involved in preventing family violence within their own faith communities. Participants heard from local services, Police and Children’s Commissioner Dr Russell Wills. How Can You Help? Upper Hutt City Council worked with the national campaign team to create an online How Can You Help? Tool designed to support students, organisations, and residents to be effective helpers for people experiencing family violence. The city’s on-going efforts to share the message that family violence is not OK and how to help, have spread throughout the Upper Hutt community. This has made it easier for people to talk about family violence, and to run violence-free community events. 12 “Already having a strong working relationship with our local family violence intervention network sped up the process. Together with other key agencies we pioneered a new style of message which went on to be successfully used and improved in subsequent campaigns.” John Tregidga, Mayor Hauraki District Council “Already having a strong working relationship with our local family violence intervention network sped up the process. Together with other key agencies we pioneered a new style of message which went on to be successfully used and improved in subsequent campaigns.” John Tregidga, Mayor Hauraki District Council Hauraki District Council Hauraki Mayor John Tregidga has long taken a stand against family violence in his region. The mayor and council initially worked alongside their local family violence intervention network and local services to commit to a violence-free Hauraki. The council developed and endorsed a Domestic Violence Policy which commits the council to taking an active role in saying domestic violence is unacceptable throughout the district. The policy also commits the council to working with local agencies to raise awareness of family violence, its impacts on individuals and families, and to work together to find ways to reduce violence. Local solutions The Hauraki towns of Waihi and Paeroa have developed local It’s not OK campaigns, with the support of the local council and mayor. In Waihi the campaign was focused on the link between alcohol and family violence and how this impacts on children. Local messages were used including: • Kids are safer when you’re sober • Can’t remember last night? Your kids will. These appeared on billboards at the entrance to the town and were reinforced with radio ads, information in the local newspaper and a video played in local liquor shops and supermarkets. A local campaign was launched in Paeroa with a family fun day. It was supported by the mayor and council as well as government agencies and included billboards, posters and radio ads featuring 27 local champions and their individual messages. Messages also appeared on drink bottles and netball bibs. A video was made of the Paeroa campaign, it can be viewed at youtube.com/itsnotOKcampaign Clutha District Council Mayor Bryan Cadogan has used his profile to raise awareness about family violence, what it is and that it is OK to ask for help. He features along with others in a local It’s not OK Campaign in the Clutha district. He appears on a poster wearing his mayoral chain with the message. Silence is violence’s best friend It’s not OK national violence free champion Vic Tamati visited Clutha and shared his story of becoming violence free at a range of venues. Mayor Cadogan hosted Vic at the council so staff and councillors could hear his inspirational story of change. Local campaigns Supporting local campaigns is an easy but powerful step for mayors and councils to take. Local campaigns help create vibrant and safe communities. Locals who front them can influence how people think about and respond to family violence in their own networks. External evaluation of local campaigns has shown they are changing attitudes towards family violence and supporting positive behaviour changes. ISBN 978-0-947513-05-4 ONLINE VERSION IBSN 978-0-947513-06-1 PRINT VERSION