Research reports

The sexual violence research project has generated four research reports and one overview report. You can download them below.

Also, see the schedule of presentations happening around New Zealand till the end of November 2009.

Restoring Soul: Effective interventions for adult victim/survivors of sexual violence – this report incorporates the four areas researched: environmental scan, attrition, pathways to recovery, and the literature review. It is the overview report that brings together the main themes that emerged from the other four inter-related reports. 
Restoring Soul: Effective interventions for adult victim/survivors of sexual violence (October 2009)

The pathways report and the overview report, restoring soul, have a strong focus on ‘what works’ to promote survivors’ recovery.

Responding to sexual violence: Pathways to recovery
Responding to sexual violence: Pathways to recovery (October 2009)

The attrition report and the environmental scan relate to systemic issues, particularly factors that influence attrition of sexual violation cases and that affect community services’ capacity to respond to survivors of sexual violence.

Responding to sexual violence: Environmental scan of New Zealand agencies
Responding to Sexual Violence: Environmental scan of New Zealand agencies (September 2009)

Responding to sexual violence: Attrition in the New Zealand criminal justice system
Responding to Sexual Violence: Attrition in the New Zealand criminal justice system (September 2009)

Responding to sexual violence: A review of literature on good practice
Responding to Sexual Violence: A review of literature on good practice (October 2009)

Speech given by the Minister of Women's Affairs Hon Pansy Wong at the launch of the last two publications (this link goes to an external page)

The report of the Taskforce for Action on Sexual Violence is also now available and can be seen at http://www.justice.govt.nz/policy-and-consultation/taskforce-for-action-on-sexual-violence/the-taskforce-report

Presentations

Ministry staff have arranged presentations to discuss the research. If you would like to listen or contribute, see the schedule below.

Please note, places are limited, so please RSVPs to Rachael Ward: ward@mwa.govt.nz or ring 04 916 5853.

17 November – 1-3pm
WELLINGTON
MacKenzie Room, St John’s Conference Centre, Willis Street, Wellington
RSVP by 13 November

19 November – 10.30am – 12.30pm
HAMILTON
Parentline, 48 Palmerston Street, Hamilton
RSVP by 17 November

20 November – 10am-12pm
WHANGAREI
Cheviot Park Motor Lodge, Corner Western Hills Drive & Cheviot Street, Whangarei
RSVP by 18 November

27 November – 9am-11am
WELLINGTON
Researchers from the Crime and Justice Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington, will present at the Auditorium, Bowen State Building, Bowen Street, Wellington. This presentation will be of particular interest to researchers and academics.
RSVP by 20 November

30 November – 1pm-3pm
CHRISTCHURCH
Presbyterian Support, 44 Bealey Avenue, Richmond, Christchurch
RSVP by 23 November

There will be more information on these reports in the December issue of Pānui.

Background on the research project

Kia ora, and welcome to the Sexual Violence Research Project.

In July 2007 the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, in partnership with the Ministry of Justice and the New Zealand Police, commenced a two-year research project into sexual violence against adults in New Zealand.

• New Zealand’s sexual violence conviction rate
• the key points at which, and reasons why, different groups of victims opt in and out of the criminal justice system
• the basis for victims’ decisions about accessing non-criminal justice services such as counselling or other support
• the key points at which government and non-government intervention and support is most effective
• ways to improve the likelihood of victims making formal complaints and, where appropriate, persisting through the criminal justice process
• options to improve service delivery within the criminal justice system.

• young women
  
• New Zealand European
• Māori
• Pacific
• ethnic, migrant and refugee
• people with disabilities
• rural
• male
  
• others.
  

Stakeholder engagement

From August to December 2007, the research unit was holding meetings and workshops with different groups to assist in scoping the project.

An introductory workshop with some of MWA’s key stakeholders was held on 23 August 2007 in Wellington. To read the report from this workshop, please click here for a PDF or HTML.

Furthermore, the following workshops took place from October to December 2007:

• People with disabilities, Wellington: 18 October 2007 (click here for the PDF or HTML report)
• Pacific Island stakeholders, Manukau City: 7 November 2007 (click here for the PDF or HTML report)
• Ethnic, Migrant & Refugee stakeholders, Auckland: 8 November 2007 (click here for the PDF or HTML report)
• Auckland Service Providers, Mt Eden: 9 November 2007 (click here for the PDF or HTML report)
• Ethnic, Migrant & Refugee stakeholders, Wellington: 26 November 2007 (click here for the PDF or the HTML report)
• Māori practitioners, Whangarei: 13 December 2007(click here for the PDF or the HTML)
• Māori practitioners, Hamilton: 14 December 2007 (click here for the PDF or the HTML)
• Interview with David Hillman and Maqueenie Tait (click here for the PDF or the HTML).

 
In anticipation of the need for collaboration between researchers for the sexual violence research project, MWA held a researcher forum for interested researchers at the Kingsgate Portland Hotel in Wellington on 1 February 2008. Those who were unable to attend the forum can access the MWA presentation by clicking here (PDF version) or here (html version).
 

Research work streams

The Ministry of Women's Affairs sexual violence research consists of the following four work streams:

1. an environmental scan of agencies and key informants that respond to victims/survivors, focusing on systemic, organisational and other contextual factors that influence systems and agency responses, including case studies in three socially and geographically diverse areas

2. a study of pathways from crisis to recovery, targeting individuals who have experienced sexual violence as adults and focusing on their experiences with a variety of support sources

3. a retrospective analysis of attrition and conviction rates, and factors associated with case outcomes, for specified sexual violation incidents recorded by Police between July 2005 and December 2007

4. a critical literature review outlining international and New Zealand perspectives on best practice in service delivery for victims, as well as challenges to implementing best practice in New Zealand.
   

The research unit 

The two-person sexual violence research unit is led by Dr Denise Lievore. Before coming to MWA, Denise worked for the Crime and Justice Centre at Victoria University where she was a Senior Research Fellow working on a range of applied projects in the justice area, including some on family and domestic violence. Other experience includes field work in Kiribati and in the Cook Islands and three years at the Australian Institute of Criminology conducting research on criminal justice responses to adult sexual assault.

The second member of the team is Nicole Benkert who completed her Masters Degree in International Studies at Otago University. Nicole worked in the area of government advocacy at Amnesty International before joining MWA in August 2007.

Contact us

If you have any questions/comments on the research project, please contact the team at:

Denise Lievore
Research Manager
Lievore@mwa.govt.nz
Phone: 04 916 5830
Fax: 04 916 1604