Friday 24 Nov: Just ahead of domestic violence awareness White Ribbon Day (Nov 25), Shine, a leading specialist family violence prevention service has revealed that calls to their helpline increased over 60% in October when compared to previous months. Last month, Shine’s 0800 helpline was launched as a Crisis Prevention Box above Google Search results when people search for domestic violence related queries, aiming to help them quickly connect with an authoritative local support service.

Google Search Trends show that Kiwis are increasingly turning to online search for help. Search interest in domestic violence reached a seven-year high in 2023 and New Zealand was the top country in the world searching for women’s shelter this year.

General Manager of Shine Social Services, Grenville Hendricks said, “Shine welcomes the support of Google in making it easier for those living with family violence to seek help. Over half of New Zealand women have experienced family violence in their lifetime. It's a staggering statistic and one that's easy for people to feel overwhelmed by, but there are things we can all do to do something about it. Everybody has a part to play to reduce our rates of family violence in New Zealand and what is often overlooked is that the issue can, and does, affect people of all walks of life.”

Caroline Rainsford, Country Director of Google New Zealand said, “Chances are we all know someone - a friend, colleague or neighbour - who has been affected by family violence and so the work that Shine does is truly incredible. I’m proud that we’re now able to connect Kiwis to their support more quickly. We know that people turn to search for actionable information in times of crisis and providing accurate, authoritative information in those moments is critical. As we expand the number of helplines globally with our partnership with ThroughLine, we hope to reach millions more people when and where they need it most.”

Shine empowers people who experience family violence to reclaim control over their lives by providing services to help people break free from abusive situations and rebuild their lives. They provide a range of integrated services and training programmes that help support adults and children experiencing family violence and also motivate and support men who have used family violence, but want to change their behaviour.

The Crisis Prevention Box has been part of the Google Search experience since 2010, surfacing helpful information on suicide prevention, domestic violence, sexual assault and more. In March 2023 Google partnered with ThroughLine, a New Zealand startup, to be able to expand the number of crisis helplines that appear at the top of search results in many additional languages and countries, for searches related to suicide, domestic violence, and other personal crisis topics. People in New Zealand will see helpline information for searches relating to suicide (Lifeline), sexual assault (Safe to talk) and Shine (domestic violence).

If you or someone you know might need support, please call the Shine Helpline for free anytime, from any phone in New Zealand on: 0508-744-633
If you are in immediate danger, call 111 and ask for the police. If not safe to speak, push 55 on a mobile (any number on a landline) to be put through to Police.

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