Hon Paula Bennett

Minister for Social Development

23 June 2014 Media Statement

Children supported to speak up with new tool

Children and young people will be supported to speak up about family violence with a new resource launched by Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

The ‘Jade Speaks Up’ package developed by Violence Free Waitakere aims to keep children safe and gives them a range of strategies to use when faced with family violence.

“Family violence is a serious and harmful problem in New Zealand, with over 100,000 children a year, that we know about, in some way affected,” Mrs Bennett said.

The package includes a short animated film featuring Jade, a young girl affected by violence in the home, and the steps she takes to be safe.

The video is designed for children aged 5 to 12 and educates them on how they can speak up and seek help.

The film is also accompanied by a series of manuals for teachers, social workers and other professionals working with children, as well as their parents.

“In the past year we saw 154,000 notifications to Child, Youth and Family, many of those the result of police attending family violence incidents,” Mrs Bennett said.

“Violence in the home is simply unacceptable, especially when children are involved - as witnesses or victims.”

“There is no one solution to this issue, however ‘Jade Speaks Up’ is a fantastic resource to raise awareness and give children tools to help that are designed for their understanding and use.”

For more information visit www.violencefreewaitakere.org

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