“Hapaitia te ara tika pumau ai te rangatiratanga mo nga uri whakatipu. Foster the pathway of knowledge to strength, independence, and growth for future generations”

You are invited to deepen your knowledge and understanding of the work being done on the specialist teams working with adolescents who have experienced sexual harm. We want to expand your child protection awareness and capacity to recognize, respond to, and support rangatahi.

The panel of guest speakers will be from Police, Oranga Tamariki, and Auckland District Health Board.

If you are working with adolescents, anywhere in our community, this conference is for you.

Child sex abuse takes place within families, in homes, in institutions, in schools, in workplaces, and in our communities. In New Zealand, 1 in 5 people who identify as female report unwanted sexual touching or being forced to do sexual things. Nearly 1 in 10 people who identify as male report unwanted sexual contact.

In a New Zealand study completed with trans and non binary people almost a third of participants (32%) reported someone had had sex with them against their will since they were 13. Almost half (47%) reported someone had attempted to have sex with them against their will, since the age of 13.

200 children in New Zealand are victims of commercial sexual abuse.

In New Zealand, 1 in 4 girls, and 1 in 8 boys will be sexually exploited by the age of 16.

The prevention of child abuse and effective intervention in dealing with severe cases of abuse is difficult and complex worldwide. New Zealand demonstrated a concerted effort to work in the best interests of children and their whānau, which led to the emergence of the Child Advocacy Centre model. Puawaitahi, which means "blossoming in unity", is a Multi-Agency centre that brings together key agencies involved in child abuse processes. Puawaitahi is an interagency partnership committed to providing a coordinated and effective response to the abuse and neglect of tamariki and rangatahi.

This is about starting a conversation.

Date: Wednesday 30th September, 2020

Time: 8:30am-4:30pm

Location: Auckland City Hospital, Marion Davis Library, Building 43