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News & Events
"We need to normalise the discussion around male sexual abuse. If we as adults can't talk about it freely, than how on earth do we expect children to be able to come forward and report it?"
- Ken Clearwater.
Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held…
Abuse in care: ‘Devastating’ cost to survivors, ‘stain’ on society
Almost a third of people in state and faith-based institutions between 1950 and 2019 were abused, the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care has found, describing it as a “disgrace” and a “stain” on the national character. The…
Sexual abuse more prevalent in faith-based care – commission
Faith-based care institutions had higher rates of sexual abuse than state care, the landmark Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care has found. The inquiry found that Catholic institutions reported the highest levels of sexual abuse, alongside Dilworth School…
On an inclusive, non- discriminatory approach to holistic redress
E hara taku toa I te takitahi. Te toa takitini My strength is not as an individual, but as a collective When we gave our opening at the Faith-based Phase 1 Hearing of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission on…
Survivors’ fear: ‘We will die before we get compensation’
The Royal Commission on Abuse in Care next week delivers its much-delayed final report. But an earlier report, filed in December 2021, said abuse survivors needed an independent payment scheme urgently. So why hasn’t it happened? Mike Ledingham turned 74…
‘We made history’: Small step in healing of Marylands School abuse survivors
A Christchurch park and road have been renamed to remove the reminder of the dark past of Marylands School. From Thursday, the former Marylands Reserve and Marylands Place will be known as Validation Park and Validation Place, in honour of the survivors…
Peer Support Specialists Drive Value as Behavioral Health Providers Embrace New Workforce
Peer support services are rapidly gaining mainstream acceptance thanks to recent federal initiatives, new reimbursement opportunities and the fallout from the opioid crisis. Peers have a unique ability to drive sustained patient engagement, industry insiders said at Behavioral Health Business’…
How To Better Support People Who Have Experienced Sexual Violence: Normalising Living With Experiences of Sexual Violence
This is not the report I expected to submit when I was applying for a Churchill Fellowship. I thought I would be writing a relatively technical, academic document aimed primarily at commissioners and funders of support services for people who…
Survivors of abuse in care celebrate ‘validating’ name change
For the men who survived “evil” sexual and physical abuse in a Catholic boys’ home in Christchurch, last week was the first time authority figures gave them a reason to smile. The reserve and street named after Marylands School is being renamed…
Mark Staufer and Neil Harding: The Lost Boys of Dilworth
Auckland’s Dilworth boarding school was set up to to provide education to boys from disadvantaged backgrounds for free. Last year an independent inquiry into sexual and physical abuse at the school uncovered a “catalogue of damage and injustice” spanning more…
‘Nobody believes you if you’re a bloke’: Barriers to disclosure and help-seeking for male forced-to-penetrate victims/ survivors
Research on barriers that exist for male victims/survivors of sexual abuse in relation to disclosing their experiences is limited. This article shares qualitative data in relation to disclosure and helpseeking barriers encountered by male victims/survivors of female-perpetrated sexual abuse. Findings…
Lived experience allyship in mental health services: Recommendations for improved uptake of allyship roles in support of peer workforces
Inclusion of service users in the design and delivery of mental health services is clearly articulated throughout Australian mental health action plans and stated as an expectation within contemporary mental health policy. International and local Australian research demonstrates benefits for…