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Our research programme is improving the evidence-base on family violence and sexual violence so we understand the experience of court participants and what works to improve outcomes.

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Progression and attrition of reported sexual violence victimisations in the criminal justice system 2017 to 2023 - annual monitoring report (August 2023) [PDF, 335 KB]

Progression and attrition of reported sexual violence victimisations in the criminal justice system - progression diagram (August 2023)  [PDF, 170 KB]

Previous research 

Attrition and progression of reported sexual violence victimisations in the criminal justice system 2017 to 2022 - annual monitoring report (March 2023)  [PDF, 304 KB]

Attrition and progression of reported sexual violence victimisations in the criminal justice system (2019)

Improving the justice response to victims of sexual violence: victims experiences (2018) [PDF, 1.6 MB]

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Child victims of sexual violence in the criminal justice system (2023) [PDF, 191 KB]

The number of people impacted by family violence over time (2022) [PDF, 178 KB]

Evaluation of Whanau Protect (National Home Safety Service) 2022 [PDF, 1.6 MB]

Sexual Violence Operational Improvements (Justice Response) Report Executive Summary 2022 [PDF, 396 KB]

Evaluation of Family Violence Courts - final report (2021) [PDF, 2 MB]

Family Violence Bail (FVB) pilot evaluation - final report (2019) [PDF, 1.1 MB]

Sexual Violence Court Pilot Evaluation (2019) (external link)

Evaluation of the Ministry of Justice-funded Domestic Violence Programmes (2018)

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The New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse is your national centre for research and information on family and whānau violence in Aotearoa New Zealand. We provide information and resources for people working towards the elimination of family violence. The Clearinghouse is based at the University of Auckland.

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Family violence is making Kiwis sick, research shows

8 March 2023

Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences , Health and medicine

Half of New Zealand women have experienced domestic abuse, which triples their risk of chronic disease and almost doubles their risk of a diagnosed mental illness.

Family violence is quite literally making New Zealanders sick, according to new research from the University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau.

Women who have experienced intimate partner violence are almost three times as likely to have a diagnosed mental health condition and almost twice as likely to have a chronic illness, compared with those who have not experienced intimate partner violence, according to a paper published in leading journal JAMA Network Open .

The researchers surveyed a representative sample of 1464 women in three regions across the country to gauge the prevalence of partner abuse and its health impacts.

“This is the first time we've been able to demonstrate how intimate partner violence contributes to the burden of ill health in the country,” says Associate Professor Janet Fanslow, key author and violence researcher at Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland.

Earlier research published by Dr Fanslow showed that one in three women experience physical or sexual violence from a partner. This figure persists, but this new study investigated five different types of intimate partner violence and their impact on health.

“Repeated exposure to physical violence, sexual violence, psychological abuse, controlling behaviour and economic abuse substantially increases the risk of ill health for women, in terms of both chronic physical disease, and mental health problems,” says Dr Fanslow.

“And violence is not happening to small proportions of women in the population,” she says.

More than half, 794, (54.7%) of the 1431 women surveyed, who had a current or previous intimate partner, reported they had experienced one or more of these types of abuse over their lifetime.

One in five women reported three or more types of partner abuse.

There were 11 percent of women who had experienced four or five types of abuse. These women were four times more likely to have a diagnosed mental health condition, such as depression, anxiety or substance abuse.

The same group had double the risk of a chronic health problem, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, or asthma, compared with women who did not experience violence.

Women who reported food insecurity had the highest prevalence of intimate partner violence at more than two thirds (69.9%).

By ethnicity, Māori women reported the highest likelihood of any lifetime intimate partner violence at 64.1 percent.

“It’s really important that the health community begin to understand intimate partner violence as a determinant of health,” Dr Fanslow says.

“People expect healthcare providers to talk to them about smoking, obesity and alcohol consumption, but this study shows us that the quality of people’s relationships, whether now or in the past, has a fundamental impact on their health.

“So, we need healthcare professionals to be equipped to assess for violence and abuse within relationships and to link people into support services.

“This goes beyond a simple process of referral to actively supporting people to find the type of help that they need. Where complex problems exist, such as violence in the presence of poor food security and mental health problems, complex solutions are also required.”

Dr Fanslow says that Manatū Hauora, the Ministry of Health has developed an excellent evidence-based violence intervention programme but has so far failed to embed it into the health system. This research should inform policy for Te Whatu Ora,Health New Zealand to roll out and resource this programme.

Another paper published as part of the same research project assessed men’s experience of partner violence, see JAMA .

“While men do report intimate partner violence, it is less frequent, less severe and is not leading to significant health effects on a population basis,” Dr Fanslow says.

That doesn’t mean individual men are not experiencing serious and prolonged abuse and need care, she adds.

“In general, prevention programmes need to be targeting men's and boys’ understanding of power and control in relationships,” she says.

Dr Fanslow would like to see international evidence-based programmes informing home-grown violence-prevention programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The research was funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

·       Read Association between women’s exposure to intimate partner violence and self-reported health outcomes in New Zealand. JAMA Network Open.

Media contact

Kaitohutohu pāpāho Jodi Yeats M: 027 202 6372 E: [email protected]

Related links

• Shifting the line on gender and sexual violence
• Victims must be central in response to male violence
• The hierarchies in NZ’s domestic violence problem
• 100 years of sexual abuse of women: what's changed?
• When bad things happen in childhood, what’s the toll on your health?
• Women report more economic abuse, controlling behaviour by partners

New Zealand is ranked as the worst developed country in the OECD for family violence. 

In NZ only 33% of family violence is reported. On average police attend a family violence episode every 4 minutes. 67% of family violence episodes remain unreported.

Nearly half of all homicides and reported violent crime are related to family violence

Family harm events have increased 60% over the past 5 years and are predicted to increase by a further 35% by 2025.

New Zealand Family Violence and Economic Harm Statistics

Family violence statistics.

In New Zealand, it is estimated that only 33% of family violence cases are reported. (1)

On average, police attend a family violence episode every four minutes. (1)

67% of family violence episodes still remain unreported. (1)

Nearly half of all homicides and reported violent crimes are related to family violence. (2)

Family violence events have increased 60% over the past five years and are predicted to increase by a further 35% by 2025. (3)

In 2020 and 2021, there were 155,338 family harm incidences which accounted for 16% of all police frontline activity. (1)

Children are present at nearly two-thirds of all family violence incidents police respond to. If this increase continues police anticipate their response to time will almost half – from four minutes to two and a half minutes by 2025. (1)

Below is a breakdown of family violence statistics based on gender, age, ethnicity, disability and employment.

Research suggests that one in three (33%) of New Zealand women have experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime. (4)

When psychological abuse is added (where economic harm sits), it increases to one in two (55%). (4)

One in eight men reported being victims of family violence. (5)

Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults experience intimate partner physical and sexual violence more than twice as often as other New Zealanders. (6)

Compared with other New Zealanders, adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 have the highest rates of intimate partner violence. (7)

One in three (29%) young people reported being hit or harmed by a partner and up to 60% of high school students are recorded as having been in an emotionally or physically abusive relationship. (7)

21% per cent of women who stayed in the refuge were also under 20 (15- 19 years). (8)

One in ten elderly experience family violence and 70% of those who experience harm are women. (9)

Evidence suggests that psychological abuse is the most common form of elder abuse and financial abuse is next most frequent, accounting for more than 50% of the recorded incidences. (10)

Research suggests that some groups are at higher risks than others of experiencing family violence.

Physical and sexual IPV affects one in two (58%) of Māori women over a lifetime. When other forms of violence are included, this could be as high as 80%. (11)

Physical and sexual IPV affects one in three (34%) of European women over a lifetime and one in three (32%) of Pacific women. (12)

Asian women report a lower lifetime prevalence of one in ten (11.5%), but advocates believe there are lower rates of reporting in Asian Communities. (4)

Disability 

Disabled people experience higher rates of both partner violence and non-partner violence. (13)

Family violence costs NZ employers at least $368 million annually. (14)

Of women who experienced family violence over the period of a year, 19% indicated that the abuse continued at work. (15)

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Moratorium on attachment orders.

Economic harm statistics

There is limited data in New Zealand relating specifically to economic harm as a form of family violence. 

This is due to it not being well understood and often more invisible than other forms of violence, as it sits within psychological abuse in the Family Violence Act (2018).

Recent research by Associate Professor Janet Fanslow – showed an increase in the lifetime prevalence of controlling behaviours towards women and double the rates of economic abuse from a male partner. From 4.5% in 2003 to 8.9% in 2019. (4)

In partnership with AUT , we are actively looking to undertake a comprehensive national study next year in line with current research to establish the prevalence of economic harm in New Zealand. 

When we look at NZ’s family violence prevalence figures alongside international economic harm research , it is estimated that economic harm would be a significant part of our family violence statistics. This is backed up by anecdotal reports from our own and others’ experience working directly with clients in the family violence sector.

International economic harm research

In Australia, women who experienced IPV, nearly all (99%) of them also experienced economic harm, including financial control and exploitation. (16)  

In the UK, 95% of women who experience domestic abuse also report experiencing economic harm. (17)

In the USA, one in four women experiences family violence. Nearly all those cases include financial abuse. “In 99% of these cases, financial abuse is one of the main reasons victims can’t leave and remain in the abusive relationships.” (18)

In the USA,  up to 99% of family violence victims experience economic harm during an abusive relationship, with finances often being cited as the biggest barrier to leaving an abusive relationship. (19)

• https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/annual-report-2020-2021.pdf 
• https://www.justice.govt.nz/assets/safer-sooner-report.pdf 
• https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/127027234/family-violence-case-reported-every-four-minutes-predicted-to-worsen
• https://nzfvc.org.nz/news/new-research-finds-changes-rates-intimate-partner-violence-nz
• https://whiteribbon.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/fact-sheet-on-gender-and-family-violence.pdf
• https://nzfvc.org.nz/news/new-research-and-reports-about-violence-affecting-lgbttqia-people
• https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/nz-family-violence-clearinghouse-study-on-adolescent-relationship-violence-revealed/
• https://nzfvc.org.nz/news/preventing-adolescent-relationship-abuse-new-nzfvc-issues-paper
• https://officeforseniors.govt.nz/our-work/raising-awareness-of-elder-abuse/
• https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/twilight-years-can-be-hell-for-the-elderly
• https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/410738/every-day-i-was-beaten-maori-women-three-times-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-partner
• Frequently Asked Questions | New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse (nzfvc.org.nz)
• https://nzfvc.org.nz/family-violence-statistics/population-based-research-studies#nzfvs2019
• https://nzfvc.org.nz/news/research-evidences-cost-domestic-violence-employers
• McFerran, L. (2011). Safe at Home, Safe at Work? National Domestic Violence and the Workplace Survey. Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse
• https://iwpr.org/iwpr-general/the-economic-cost-of-intimate-partner-violence-sexual-assault-and-stalking/
• https://survivingeconomicabuse.org/what-is-economic-abuse/
• 2018-research-deck-v1.pdf (allstatefoundation.org)
• https://ncadv.org/blog/posts/quick-guide-economic-and-financial-abuse

Related resources

Webinar: Understanding Economic Harm in Aotearoa

Economic Harm

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Home > About us > Publications and statistics > Family Violence Risk Assessment: Review of international research

Family Violence Risk Assessment: Review of international research

This review has been undertaken for New Zealand Police. Its purpose is to provide an overview of the international academic research and best practice literature on family violence risk assessment from about the last ten years, in order to inform improvements that the New Zealand Police may wish to make to its own family violence risk assessment processes.

The review therefore has a particular focus on the literature as it relates to family violence risk assessment by police organisations. It also focuses on risk assessment as it relates to predicting the reoccurrence of family violence, rather than the initial occurrence.

• Family Violence Risk Assessment: Review of international research (PDF, 564KB)

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Family violence puts women at greater risk of suffering health issues - research.

Women who have experienced intimate partner violence are three times as likely to have a mental health condition. Photo: Women's Refuge

New research shows that family violence is putting New Zealand women at greater risk of suffering health issues.

A survey of 1464 women across the country has found that women who have experienced intimate partner violence are three times as likely to have a mental health condition and twice as likely to have a chronic illness.

University of Auckland associate professor Janet Fanslow said victims of intimate partner violence were more likely to report having a diagnosed mental health condition like depression, anxiety or substance abuse.

She said it was imperative that the health community began to understand partner violence as a determinant of health.

"People within health need to be equipped to identify who is in situations of acute risk and be able to refer them appropriately", Fanslow said.

"It also means we need to build and strengthen that trauma, informed care response," she added.

By ethnicity, Māori women reported the highest likelihood of any lifetime intimate partner violence at 64.1 percent.

Copyright © 2023 , Radio New Zealand

Related Stories

Family court further victimises the vulnerable - advocates.

A group advocating for urgent changes to the family court says parents are forced to come face to face with abusive ex-partners, even with a protection order.

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