With more than one in six males experiencing sexual abuse in New Zealand, the need for wraparound care and collaboration between support organisations has never been more important.

That is why Tautoko Tāne Aotearoa – a dedicated support service for male victims of sexual abuse - is holding a series of presentations from one end of the country to the other, designed to bring support agencies together, help strengthen understanding of the barriers men face when seeking help, and share insights from its Purposeful Peer Support approach.

Called Hoake Tātou | Walk With Me, the presentations start in Southland in mid-September, and finish in Whangarei in March. In total, 26 events will be held in 17 towns and cities, featuring a panel of presenters at each, including male survivors of sexual abuse.

“Aotearoa is the envy of the world for many reasons, but New Zealand’s record on sexual abuse of males is not one of them. In fact, we have one of the world’s highest rates of childhood sexual abuse against young males,” says Tautoko Tāne CEO, Tony Chamberlain.

“Based on the latest New Zealand research, global studies and analysis of online data, we have a clearer picture of the size and scale of the issue in this country than ever before, and it doesn’t make for pretty reading,” he says.

• 1 in 6 males have experienced childhood sexual abuse
• 1 in 4 victims of sexual abuse in New Zealand identify as male
• Approximately 412,000 New Zealand men have experienced sexual abuse
• Approximately 142,500 male survivors have experienced high levels of psychological distress
• On average, it takes 18 years before male victims of sexual abuse contact police or a support agency, and just 31 per cent report in the first three years.

“As a result, we know that sexual abuse of males is significantly under-reported for a range of different reasons, so the problem is even bigger than what the known evidence tells us,” Mr Chamberlain says.

“This doesn’t just take an emotional, physical, cultural and social toll on survivors, their whānau and society, it has an economic impact as well, valued at $6.9 billion in costs to victims, government agencies and communities.

“Supporting complex trauma requires collaboration between several organisations, each with different skills and experience – no one agency or organisation can do it alone.

“As more male survivors present with complex trauma, we need even more collaborative sector partnerships to provide the wrap-around services essential for healing and recovery.

“Hoake Tātou | Walk With Me is about bringing all of those different organisations together to hear from those with lived experience, and share information and understandings about working with male survivors, to help them get the support they need.”

Mr Chamberlain says the name of the series reflects the Tautoko Tāne approach to supporting male survivors – walking alongside them to support their healing journey in any way that they can, for as long as is needed.

In 2024, that involved supporting nearly 4000 male survivors with more than 30,000 support interactions, working with hundreds of regional organisations across the country to access services and support.

“Tautoko Tāne is bound by a common purpose – enabling the wellbeing of male survivors. By working together, with other service providers and community organisations across the motu, we can collectively have an even greater impact, ensuring a positive ripple effect on families, workplaces and communities.”

For more information about the presentation series, including dates, locations and registration, go to the Tautoko Tāne website.

The Hoake Tātou | Walk With Me series is supported by the Ministry for Social Development.

© Scoop Media