Family violence prevention course this week

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 582, 18 April 1995, Page 5

Family violence prevention course this week

Next weekend the Taumarunui Women' s Refuge and Support Centre will be hosting training on family violence intervention at the Alpine Inn conference centre in Taumarunui

The trainers are from the Hamilton Abuse Intervention Project (HAIP), Te Whakaruruhau Maori Women' s Refuge and Hamilton Police. HAIP is a national pilot

scheme set up with support from central government in 1991 to trial a coordinated, multi-agency approach to family violence. It aims for consistency in agency responses to battered women

and their assailants, and provides education programmes for both. The key agencies involved are police, community Corrections, Family Court, District Court, Women' s Refuge and HAIP. The goals of intervention are to reduce or stop violence towards women and children who are the main victims of violence and provide them with support; provide consistent messages and consequences to assai 1ants; negotiate accountability systems to monitor agency performance; develop policies and practices to ensure these occur. The definition of family violence e is broadened to include tactics designed to intimidate or threaten a victim, which includes breaking and entering, wilful damage, misuse of a telephone, kidnap, threats, threats to third parties, breach of protection orders, etc, HAIP has a caseload of about 10 women per week, from police calls and self

referrals. Women' s education groups have a regular weekly attendance of between 25 - 30 women.

Court advocates assist women who are required to act as court witnesses and monitor every family vio-

lence case in court HAIP has approximately 230 men currently attendTurn to page 6

Family violence prevention course FROMPAGE5 ing the 26 week stopping . violence progra mme, 75 per cent are referred by the District Court, 20 per cent are self referrals and 5 per cent Family Court referrals. Targeting energy to changing individuals is not enough. HAIPbelievesthat the very culture that the individual grows up in must be altered. The training offered is open to all government, community and volunteer workers who have an interest in family violence prevention. More information is avaiiable on 07-896-7869.