Media Statement – for immediate release 21 May 2007

Hope For Non-Violence Lies With Youth

Youth Week 21 – 27 May

Creating non-violent environments for young people may be the key to reducing New Zealand's appalling rates of domestic violence.

"Hope lies with our young people and the tools we give them for living without violence," Garth Baker, project manager for the National Network of Stopping Violence, said.

"Young people are strongly influenced by the environments they live and play in. If we can promote a culture of non-violence around young people, we will influence their behaviour as adults," Mr Baker said.

He is project manager for Promoting Youth Non-Violence, a project funded by Ministry of Health and implemented by NNSVS.

The project uses a "settings" approach, changing the environments young people are in rather than targeting the behaviour of individuals.

The new approach is being trialled in four pilot sites – Whangarei, South Auckland, Feilding and Nelson/Motueka. Health promoters are working on the project in each site.

Resources are being produced which will be transferable to other organisations and locations.

"We see huge potential for changing New Zealand's culture of violence using the settings approach. For example, if all youth organisations adopted and promoted non-violent practices and procedures and modelled non-violent behaviour at all times, this would have to influence our youth population," Mr Baker said.

Each pilot is taking a slightly different approach. In South Auckland health promoter Lua Maynard is delivering training to local youth workers, and is also working with local musicians to produce a song and video.

In Whangarei health promoter Wiki Pitama is working with local Maori social services provider Te Ora Hou to establish non-violent policies and practices within that organisation.

In Feilding and Nelson/Motueka health promoters are working with local youth workers to develop and introduce non- violent practices and policies.

New Zealand has a high rate of violence, particularly in family relationships. In 2005 Police attended 63,685 incidents of violence and estimate that at least 62,685 children and young people aged under 17 were involved.

Violence in the lives of children and young people is hugely damaging and causes lifelong effects.

ENDS

© Scoop Media