Marching to cut family violence | Manawatu-Wanganui News | Local News in Manawatu-Wanganui

Call-outs to incidents of domestic violence may be increasing in Wanganui, but agencies are regarding that as a positive sign that people are are not prepared to stand by and condone violent behaviour.

Today, Wanganui men will reinforce that when they march up the city's main street to Majestic Square from about midday in the third annual White Ribbon March.

All men who pledge not to commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women are invited to attend the march, which leaves from the corner of Taupo Quay and Victoria Ave at 11.45am.

Detective Sergeant Phil Taylor, Wanganui Police family violence intervention co-ordinator, said the increasing number of reported calls to police had to be viewed as a positive. "What we're finding is that with those call-outs the seriousness of the incidents we're attending is diminishing.

"We believe if the community is reporting this sort of incident to us, then we can get involved earlier and make a change sooner."

Research shows that anywhere between 11 and 18 per cent of all family violence incidents are reported to police, but Mr Taylor thinks the work Wanganui Police have been doing with other agencies would push that figure closer to 25 per cent.

"People still need to report this sort of activity because we know it's only the tip of the iceberg but it's a sign of the community standing up and saying this sort of thing is just not acceptable," he said.

Up until the end of August this year there had been 1060 domestic violence incidents reported to Wanganui Police, putting the numbers slightly ahead of 2010.

But again, Mr Taylor saw that as a positive.

"Instead of being the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, we're developing a community that's getting involved before that ambulance is needed. And that means we've got a chance to make a change in that family environment," he said.

Meanwhile Tim Metcalfe, executive director of Jigsaw Whanganui, which is co-ordinating the White Ribbon march, said the invitation to take part was issued to all men.

He said local musicians had composed a special song for the march and there would be an expo of agencies belonging to the Whanganui Family Violence Network at Majestic Square as well as the usual sausage sizzle for families.

Figures compiled by Whanganui Family Violence Integrated Services show that last year Wanganui Police attended 1564 family violence incidents. Children were present at 980 of those occasions although that did not mean they witnessed an incident of family violence. Of those 1564 incidents, 823 were reported by the victim, 246 by another family member, 170 by a neighbour and 58 by the offender themselves.

THE NUMBERS

In New Zealand ...

One in three women have experienced physical or sexual abuse from a partner.

About 50 per cent of all homicides and violent crime in New Zealand is family violence.

On average, 14 women, six men, and 10 children are killed by a member of their own family every year.

Police attend about 200 family violence incidents a day in New Zealand - one every 7 minutes.

LAST YEAR'S STATS

1564 - call-outs reported by Whanganui Police.

954 - incidents where domestic violence had been reported before.

1219 - incidents where the perpetrator was male.

575 - incidents involving alcohol.