Ministry of Social
Development
Child Protection Policy
15 September 2015
Ministry of Social Development
Wellington
New Zealand
Contents
Section 1: Introduction................................................................................................................ 3
Section 2: Policy Summary ........................................................................................................ 4
Purpose statement .............................................................................................................. 4
Policy scope .......................................................................................................................... 4
Organisational commitment to child protection ............................................................. 4
Section 3: Our responsibilities and expectations ........................................................................ 6
Support for staff .................................................................................................................. 7
Confidentiality and information sharing .......................................................................... 8
Review ................................................................................................................................... 8
Appendix 1: Responding to suspected abuse or neglect - Report of Concern ............................ 9
Dealing with suspected abuse ........................................................................................... 9
Responding to a child when the child discloses abuse ................................................... 10
Recording and notifying Child, Youth and Family of suspected child abuse or
neglect: ............................................................................................................................... 11
Response when the allegations relate to a Ministry staff member ........................... 13
Appendix 2: Other relevant resource material .......................................................................... 14
Appendix 3: Defining child abuse and neglect .......................................................................... 16
Child abuse ......................................................................................................................... 16
Physical abuse ................................................................................................................ 16
Sexual abuse................................................................................................................... 16
Emotional abuse ............................................................................................................. 17
Neglect ............................................................................................................................. 17
Family Violence .................................................................................................................. 17
Vulnerable Children ........................................................................................................... 18
Appendix 4 - Potential indicators of abuse................................................................................ 19
Physical abuse.................................................................................................................... 19
Sexual abuse ...................................................................................................................... 20
Emotional abuse ................................................................................................................ 21
Neglect ................................................................................................................................ 21
Intimate partner violence ................................................................................................ 22
Page 2 of 22
Section 1: Introduction
This policy requires all Ministry staff to share in the organisation’s commitment to
support and protect vulnerable children and to report situations where they have
concerns that a child is being, or is suspected of being, abused or neglected.
Staff from the Ministry of Social Development (the Ministry) engage directly or indirectly with
several hundred thousand children each year. Many of these children are vulnerable to a
number of negative life outcomes, including being exposed to the risk of abuse or neglect.
The Government has introduced a suite of legislative, policy and service delivery initiatives
to more effectively identify and respond to the needs of vulnerable children; including the
Vulnerable Children Act 2014 (VCA) and the multi-agency Children’s Action Plan.
More information on both these initiatives can be found at: www.childrensactionplan.govt.nz
Under the provisions of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014, the Ministry (along with other State
services and organisations providing government-funded services to children and families) is
required to have a Child Protection Policy to articulate the agency’s commitment to building a
culture of child protection and to set out its expectations on how staff should respond when
they have concerns about the safety and well-being of children.
The focus of the policy is on how you should respond to situations you may encounter in
your work. However, in keeping with the Ministry’s strong commitment to child protection
and the policy intent of the VCA (which is to create a national culture of child protection that
consistently safeguards and promotes the well-being of children), we very much encourage
you to be vigilant about child vulnerability and protection wherever you may be. The
Ministry’s leadership role in child protection means it is well-placed to promote attitudinal
change in this important area and we would like all our staff to join us in this. You are
therefore urged to demonstrate your commitment to child protection by applying the
principles of the policy wherever you come across situations where children are at risk of
abuse or neglect.
The policy supersedes Procedures for Reporting Suspected or Actual Child Abuse and Neglect,
between Work and Income, Integrity Services and Child, Youth and Family dated January
2012.
Page 3 of 22
Section 2: Policy Summary
Purpose statement
The purposes of this policy are to:

protect the safety and promote the wellbeing of vulnerable children 1, including
vulnerable disabled children 2, who are receiving services from any staff3 member of
the Ministry or are associated with adults who are receiving services from any staff
member of the Ministry

assist staff to respond appropriately when child abuse or neglect is suspected or
identified

assist staff to respond to the needs of the many vulnerable children who come to the
notice of the Ministry without the presence of indicators of abuse or neglect.
Policy scope
This policy applies to all staff and should be used wherever abuse or neglect is suspected or
identified.
Policy principles

The right of children to be protected from abuse and neglect is a fundamental human
right

The protection of children is a Ministry priority and as such, we accept that we have
organisational and individual responsibilities to act to protect the safety of vulnerable
children.
Organisational commitment to child protection
Our leadership team will ensure that:
1

there is an organisation-wide policy for the appropriate response to, and
management of, reports of suspected or confirmed child abuse and neglect and the
identification of vulnerable children, including vulnerable disabled children

the Child Protection Policy and procedures comply with legislative requirements, the
principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and best practice standards

organisation-wide procedures exist to provide appropriate adequate support for staff
that may witness or be dealing with child abuse and neglect.
For ease of reference in this document, the words ‘child’ and ‘children’ are used to refer to
children/mokopuna/young person/rangatahi under the age of 17 years
2
International research evidence indicates that disabled children are at greater risk of being subjected to all types of
abuse; see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-disabled-children-practice-guidance
3
Staff means all persons employed or engaged by the Ministry, in both paid positions and as volunteers
Page 4 of 22

the Ministry commits to using safer recruitment procedures, including compliance
with any requirements in the Vulnerable Children Act.
The Ministry will take steps to ensure that:

all staff are conversant with our Child Protection Policy and related procedures

all staff understand the statutory referral processes and management of identified or
suspected child abuse and neglect

all staff know how to seek advice when child abuse is suspected or identified

staff receive information about the policy, access to training and/or resource material
and periodic updates appropriate to their areas of work and roles in the organisation

all public areas within the Ministry display information, brochures and posters
pertaining to accessing support and interventions for child abuse and neglect. These
will be provided in a range of languages and visual images that reflect the cultural
diversity of New Zealand

frontline staff will be able to identify the signs and symptoms of potential abuse and
neglect, identify vulnerable children, and will take appropriate action in response

relationships with clients/service users are open and transparent. This includes being
willing to share concerns about child safety issues with the family/whānau unless this
would result in an escalation of risk

Ministry services to children and families contribute to improving the wellbeing of
vulnerable children

there will be on-going work towards improvement in the Ministry’s child protection
practices

lawful and effective information sharing and consistent communication between
Ministry staff and other agencies is the foundation for sound decision-making to keep
children safe

The Ministry will support staff to work with partner agencies and community
organisations to best ensure child protection policies are consistent, of a high quality,
and always comply with relevant legislative responsibilities

Ministry policies will be in line with the whole of Government Vulnerable Children’s
Plan as set out in section 8 of the Vulnerable Children Act.
Page 5 of 22
Section 3: Our responsibilities and expectations
This policy outlines the Ministry’s responsibilities and expectations of how staff should
respond when they come across situations where child abuse or neglect is suspected or
identified. Staff who understand their responsibilities under this policy and act appropriately
will make a significant contribution to helping keep children safe.
Statutory responsibility to investigate allegations of child abuse in New Zealand rests with
Child, Youth and Family (CYF) and the Police. These statutory agencies operate
collaboratively under the provisions of a joint Child Protection Protocol when responding to
situations of serious child abuse - http://doogle.ssi.govt.nz/documents/resources/helpingcyf-clients/procedures-manuals/interagency-agreements/final-child-protection-protocol.pdf
Under this Child Protection Policy, all staff are required to:

know that the policy exists and know where to locate it if required

have an understanding of what the policy covers and what to do if they come across
child abuse and neglect

successfully complete the on-line ChildSafe module

seek advice from their manager or colleagues in the Ministry who have child protection
knowledge and skills. These include; the Child, Youth and Family (CYF) National
Contact Centre, CYF local site duty Social Workers, CYF Differential Response Coordinators or Service Delivery Family Violence Co-ordinators

take steps to ensure that any concerns about actual or suspected abuse are reported
to CYF or the Police. In most cases that will involve making a Report of Concern to the
CYF National Contact Centre – 0508 FAMILY (refer to Appendix 1 for further details),
but in situations where a child is believed to be in imminent danger, this should be
reported immediately to Police via 111.
In addition, our goal is that frontline staff4 are able to identify vulnerable children, including
vulnerable disabled children. To enable them to do this they will:
4

be able to recognise the potential indicators of abuse or neglect

be able to recognise the potential indicators of abuse and neglect of disabled children

be aware of the risk that persons and situations may pose to children

access available child protection information and training, appropriate to their role

generally be able to distinguish between situations that call for a Report of Concern to
be made to CYF and/or Police and those situations where the child’s vulnerability is at
the lower end of the risk continuum and where a referral to community social services
agencies for support is more appropriate. If the level of risk/concern is uncertain,
staff should contact the CYF National Contact Centre for advice

make sure a factual account of their concerns and actions taken are recorded.
Frontline staff are defined as those who are dealing directly with children, families and/or providers of services to
children and families
Page 6 of 22
Where a report of concern has been made to CYF or the Police and an investigation or
assessment is about to commence, Ministry staff, with the exception of CYF, must not:

contact the suspected person for any reason connected with the report of concern. If
it is necessary to contact that person in relation to other Ministry business (for
example, in relation to a benefit application) staff are to discuss this with their Line
Manager and the investigating agency first to ensure that the contact doesn’t interfere
with the investigation

discuss the case with anyone that is not connected directly with the investigation.
The primary focus of this policy is to ensure that staff understand the Ministry’s expectations
in relation to the reporting of suspected child abuse and neglect to the statutory agencies –
Child, Youth and Family and the Police. However, there will be situations where children are
considered vulnerable, but where the involvement of statutory agencies will be inappropriate,
particularly in situations where the levels of vulnerability or concern are not related to abuse
or neglect and where families are actively seeking help. In those situations staff are
encouraged to help families to access other community support services.
Support for staff
In order to support staff to implement this policy a range of resource material and procedural
advice is attached as appendices. An on-line ChildSafe training module is being developed for
all staff and additional training modules are available for frontline staff who work directly with
children and families.
In addition to the standard support to staff available through their supervisors, team leaders
and line managers, there are people in a range of roles across the Ministry with the relevant
child protection knowledge and skills to act as a sounding board and provide advice to staff.
These include; CYF National Contact Centre, CYF local site duty Social Workers, CYF
Differential Response Co-ordinators and Service Delivery Family Violence Co-ordinators.
These resource people identified above will be able to help staff determine the most
appropriate response. These resource people will:

have a sound understanding of the potential indicators of child abuse and neglect,
including indicators of possible abuse or neglect of a disabled child, and be able to
identify vulnerable children

be available to support their colleagues who are dealing with child protection issues as
and when the need for support is brought to their attention (irrespective of whether
the alleged abuse is current or past or likely to occur in the future)

advise and support staff to decide whether or not to take referral action

support staff to ensure the completion of detailed and confidential records on all child
protection cases

provide advice to staff on the relevant local social service agencies available to provide
support to vulnerable children and families whose needs don’t reach the threshold for
referral to the statutory agencies.
Page 7 of 22
Confidentiality and information sharing
The Privacy Act 1993 and the Children, Young Persons, and their Families Act 1989 allow
information to be shared to keep children safe when abuse or suspected abuse is reported
or investigated. Note that, under sections 15 and 16 of the Children, Young Persons, and
their Families Act, any person who believes that a child has been, or is likely to be, harmed
physically, emotionally or sexually or ill-treated, abused, neglected or deprived may report
the matter to Child, Youth and Family or the Police and, provided the report is made in good
faith, no civil, criminal or disciplinary proceedings may be brought against them.
Review
This Policy will be reviewed in 12 months from the date of signing and every two years
thereafter or as required. These reviews will be comprehensive, and take into account the
views of staff/stakeholders, and lessons-learned.
Page 8 of 22
Appendix 1: Responding to suspected abuse or
neglect - Report of Concern
In all cases where a member of the Ministry has a concern about a child’s safety or
wellbeing they will report this to their manager/supervisor. This needs to be done in a
timely manner to best ensure the safety of the child.
When the concern is about actual or suspected abuse or neglect, this is to be reported to
the Child, Youth and Family National Contact Centre on 0508 FAMILY (0508 326 459).
Dealing with suspected abuse
The basic principles of dealing with disclosure are:
Respond to the person
Believe what they tell you and what you see.
Record
Record all initial statements and observations and
concerns immediately to avoid misinterpretations or
confusion at a later date. Record any decisions made and
actions taken.
Consult
Do not make decisions alone. Consult with your Line
Manager and make contact with someone with child
protection knowledge; CYF National Contact Centre, CYF
local site duty Social Workers, CYF Differential Response
Co-ordinators or Service Delivery Family Violence Coordinators. The person you consult with may vary
depending on your local network of relationships and
access to specialist advice.
Refer to this Child Protection Policy.
Ensure the safety of the
child
Always take action in the short term to ensure the
immediate safety of the child. If there is imminent risk
call Police on 111. If in doubt, contact CYF National
Contact Centre (0508 FAMILY).
Report
Decide to act on your concerns. Do not leave it to
someone else or hope it will not happen again. Report
your concerns to your Line Manager and/or CYF National
Contact Centre (0508 FAMILY).
Get support
Get support for yourself. There is support available
through the Employee Assistance Programme service
and your immediate manager.
Page 9 of 22
In most instances, non-Child, Youth and Family Ministry staff will be dealing with
information received from adults. If, however, a disclosure is received directly from a child,
the following steps should be taken:
Responding to a child when the child discloses abuse
Listen to the child
Disclosures by children are often subtle and need to be handled
with particular care, including an awareness of the child’s
cultural identity and how that affects interpretation of their
behaviour and language.
Reassure the child
Let the child know that they are not in trouble and have done
the right thing.
Ask open-ended
prompts – e.g.
“What happened
next?”
Do not interview the child (in other words, do not ask questions
beyond open prompts).
If the child is visibly
distressed
Provide appropriate reassurances and re-engage in appropriate
activities under supervision until they are able to participate in
ordinary activities.
If the child is not in
immediate danger
Re-involve the child in ordinary activities and explain what you
are going to do next.
If the child is in
immediate danger
Contact the Police immediately via 111.
As soon as possible
formally record the
disclosure
Record:
Do not make promises that can’t be kept, e.g. “I will keep you
safe now”.
 what the child said, word for word
 the date, time and who was present.
Page 10 of 22
Recording and notifying Child, Youth and Family of suspected child
abuse or neglect:
What process
to follow
Recording
For example
Key considerations
Formally record:
Relevant information can
inform any future actions.






anything said by the child
the date, time, location
names of any people that may be
relevant
the factual concerns or
observations that have led to the
suspicion of abuse or neglect (e.g.
any physical, behavioural or
developmental concerns)
the action taken by your business
unit
any other information that may be
relevant.
Decisionmaking
Discuss any concerns with your
Line Manager and/or staff member
identified as having child protection
expertise.
No decisions should be made
in isolation.
Notifying
authorities
Notify Child, Youth and Family
promptly if there is a belief that a
child has been, or is likely to be,
abused or neglected.
Child, Youth and Family will:
A phone call to the National Contact
Centre is the preferred initial contact
with Child, Youth and Family (see
below) as this enables both parties to
discuss the nature of the concerns
and appropriate response options.

make the decision to
inform the parents or
caregivers

advise what, if any,
immediate action may be
appropriate, including
referring the concern to
the Police.
Phone: 0508 FAMILY (0508 326 459)
Fax: 09 914 1211
email: [email protected]
Following the
advice of Child,
Youth and
Family
Child, Youth and Family advice will
include what, if any, immediate action
may be appropriate, including
referring the concern to the Police.
Child, Youth and Family is
responsible for determining
whether an investigation is
necessary/desirable. Child,
Youth and Family will decide
whether they need to work
with the family/whānau or
put them in touch with people
in their community who can
help.
Page 11 of 22
Storing
relevant
information
Securely store:
 the record of the concern
 a record of any related discussions
(including copies of
correspondence, where
appropriate)
 a record of any advice received
 the action your service line took,
including any rationale for this
concern alongside any earlier
concerns, if the notification is
based on an accumulation of
concerns (rather than a specific
incident).
Records assist in identifying
Patterns.
Additional Information for Community Investment Staff
Community Investment staff members who observe something during an interaction with a
contracted provider that raises concerns about the safety of children should:

advise the local regional manager Approvals or Approvals Assessor along with their
own line manager. This could be done via email or a conversation supported by an
email. Approvals will apply our standard complaints process

following consultation make a report of concern to Child, Youth and Family where
required.
Approval complaints procedure
Providers need to be given the opportunity to resolve complaints related to their service
provision. Principles of natural justice apply. If we are contacted by someone with a concern
about a provider (whether internal or external), we give the provider an opportunity to
respond to and address any issues raised.
Depending on the level of risk associated with the concerns, Approvals may either conduct a
special investigation (a targeted assessment), or review the areas of concern during the
next scheduled review, or bring forward the assessment review date if necessary.
Consultation with Child, Youth and Family and Police should occur prior to this commencing
when they are involved.
Approvals’ role is to ensure that there will be proper standards of care for all clients over a
period of time. While complaints or information may relate to specific incidents, it is not the
primary or only concern of the assessor to determine exactly what happened. If the
complaint relates to an allegation of abuse or neglect this is referred to CYF National
Contact Centre to initiate an investigation. The outcome of that investigation may require
Approvals to then engage further with the agency to consider their policies, procedures and
the application of these in practice.
Page 12 of 22
Response when the allegations relate to a Ministry staff
member
Code of Conduct
http://doogle.ssi.govt.nz/working-here/working-for-us/standards-of-behaviour/
Some allegations may constitute potential breaches of the code of conduct. In particular the
code of conduct states that the Ministry has a zero tolerance policy whereby it is
unacceptable under any circumstances for a Ministry staff member to interfere with or in
any way abuse a child we are responsible for or have a professional relationship with.
Where it is shown that a staff member has acted in this way, they will be dismissed and the
matter will be referred to the Police.
Need to report
Ministry staff are strongly advised to take steps to report suspected or identified abuse or
neglect that they become aware of to the Child, Youth and Family National Contact Centre
(0508 FAMILY) or Police. The need to report exists regardless of whether or not the child or
their family/whānau is a client of the Ministry and whether or not a staff member is
involved.
If a staff member is involved in ‘serious wrongdoing’, it may be possible for the reporting
employee to make a protected disclosure in accordance with the Protected Disclosures Act
2000. For guidance, see the Ministry’s Doogle pages:
http://doogle.ssi.govt.nz/resources/helping-staff/policies-standards/hr/protecteddisclosure.html
Potential code of conduct breach and employment investigation
Once a manager/supervisor receives an allegation of abuse or neglect that relates to a
Ministry staff member, the manager must contact the Human Resources Consultancy.
Human Resources Consultancy will consult with the manager of the employee of concern. If
an employment investigation is required, Human Resources Consultancy will advise the next
steps and continue to provide advice and assistance to the employee’s manager until the
matter is brought to a conclusion.
Ministry policy on managing staff issues will apply.
It is important that the responsible manager and Human Resources Consultancy liaise
closely with the CYF or Police staff undertaking the child abuse investigation to ensure that
the employment investigation and the abuse investigation processes are not compromised.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Human Resources Consultancy will advise on issues or concerns in regard to confidentiality
and the employment investigation.
Relationships with other procedures
There are other procedures within the Ministry that deal with complaints and grievances.
Managers and staff should be aware of these and ensure that matters of concern are raised
and managed in accordance with the correct procedure.
Page 13 of 22
Appendix 2: Other relevant resource material
This section of the policy identifies existing Ministry policies and procedural information
related to the Child Protection Policy. It also refers to existing legislation and sources of
further information.

The Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989 relates to children and
young persons who are in need of care or protection, or who offend against the law.

The Child, Youth and Family and NZ Police Child Protection Protocol, 2013 defines
the roles of each organisation and sets out processes for working together when
responding to situations of serious child abuse.
http://doogle.ssi.govt.nz/documents/resources/helping-cyf-clients/proceduresmanuals/interagency-agreements/final-child-protection-protocol.pdf

The Green Paper for Vulnerable Children was launched in July 2011 and
is available on the Ministry of Social Development website. The Green Paper asked
New Zealanders to focus on our most vulnerable children, initiating a consultation
process to consider and debate the issues.

The White Paper for Vulnerable Children was released in October 2012 and
is available on the Children's Action Plan website. The White Paper guided the
creation of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014 and sets out a framework designed to
ensure key agencies and professionals working with children are better connected
and identify the needs of vulnerable children earlier.

The Children’s Action Plan provides a framework that will continue to evolve as New
Zealanders work together to achieve the fundamental changes contained in the
White Paper for Vulnerable Children.

The Vulnerable Children Act 2014 makes significant changes to protect vulnerable
children and help them thrive. It supports the Government in setting priorities for
improving the wellbeing of vulnerable children and ensures that agencies work
together to improve the wellbeing of vulnerable children.

The Domestic Violence Act 1995 (Protection and Parenting Orders).

The Safer Organisations - Safer Children guidelines, developed under the Children’s
Action Plan, outline what a good child protection policy should contain along with
links to supporting resources. They are intended to build on existing expertise and
give organisations an opportunity to reflect on their current policies and practices.

The Care of Children Act 2004
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2004/0090/latest/DLM317233.html?src=qs

Victims’ Rights Act 2002
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2002/0039/latest/DLM157813.html?src=qs

Disabled children
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-disabled-childrenpractice-guidance
Page 14 of 22

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the
http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publicationsresources/monitoring/uncroc/

Office of the Commissioner for Children http://www.occ.org.nz/
Child
(UNCROC)
Page 15 of 22
Appendix 3: Defining child abuse and neglect
Child abuse
This Child Protection Policy is created as a requirement of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014
(the VCA). As the VCA does not define child abuse it is appropriate to use the definition of
child abuse as contained in section 2 Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989
(the CYPFA).
Child abuse means the harming (whether physically, emotionally or sexually), ill treatment,
abuse, neglect, or deprivation of any child and/or young person. A report of concern to a
Social Worker or the Police can be made in relation to abuse or neglect that is actual or
likely.
Child abuse can be classified under the following four categories:

Physical abuse

Sexual abuse

Emotional abuse

Neglect.
The four categories of child abuse are briefly discussed below. All frontline staff should
familiarise themselves with all four categories to ensure they understand what constitutes
abuse under each category, and how they might present physically and/or through the
behaviour of the child and perpetrator.
Detailed information on the potential indicators for each abuse category is included in
Appendix 4. Indicators are signs or symptoms that point to possible abuse. In many cases,
indicators are found in combinations or clusters.
Physical abuse
Physical abuse can be any act that may result in the physical harm of a child. It can be, but
is not limited to: bruising, cutting, hitting, beating, biting, burning, causing abrasions,
strangulation, suffocation, drowning, poisoning and fabricated or induced illness.
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse can be any act that involves forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual
activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. Sexual abuse can be, but
is not limited to:

contact abuse: touching breasts, genital/anal fondling, masturbation, oral sex,
penetrative or non-penetrative contact with the anus or genitals, encouraging the
child to perform such acts on the perpetrator or another, involvement of the child in
activities for the purposes of pornography or prostitution

non-contact abuse: exhibitionism, voyeurism, exposure to pornographic or sexual
imagery, inappropriate photography or depictions of sexual or suggestive behaviours
or comments.
Page 16 of 22
Emotional abuse
Emotional abuse can be any act or omission that results in adverse or impaired
psychological, social, intellectual and emotional functioning or development. This can
include:


patterns of isolation, degradation, constant criticism or negative comparison to
others. Corrupting, exploiting or terrorising a child can also be emotional abuse
exposure to family/whānau or intimate partner violence.
Neglect
Neglect can be:





physical (not providing the necessities of life, like adequate shelter food and
clothing)
emotional (not providing comfort, attention and love)
neglectful supervision (leaving children without someone safe looking after them)
medical neglect (not taking care of health needs)
educational neglect (allowing truancy, failure to enrol in education or inattention to
education needs).
Neglect is the most common form of abuse, and although the effects may not be as obvious
as physical abuse, the impact on the child is often just as serious.
Family Violence
Given the link between family violence, intimate partner violence and child abuse, it is also
important to understand these terms:
Family violence covers a broad range of controlling behaviours, commonly of a physical,
sexual and/or psychological nature that typically involve fear, intimidation or emotional
deprivation. It occurs within a variety of close interpersonal relationships, such as between
partners, parents and children, siblings, and in other relationships where significant others
are not part of the physical household but are part of the family/whānau and/or are fulfilling
the function of family/whānau.
Common forms of violence in families/whānau include:





spouse/partner abuse (violence among adult partners)
child abuse/neglect (abuse/neglect of children by an adult)
elder abuse/neglect (abuse/neglect of older people aged approximately 65 years and
over, by a person with whom they have a relationship of trust)
parental abuse (violence perpetrated by a child against their parent)
sibling abuse (violence among siblings).
Intimate partner violence is a subset of family violence. Intimate partner violence
includes physical violence, sexual violence, psychological/emotional abuse, economic abuse,
intimidation, harassment, damage to property and threats of physical or sexual abuse
towards an intimate partner.
Page 17 of 22
Vulnerable Children
The Vulnerable Children Act 2014 does not contain a definition of vulnerable children. The
White Paper that underpinned the creation of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014 provides
guidance when it states that:
“All children are vulnerable in the sense that they are reliant on the adults around
them to provide them with food, shelter, nurturance and protection, in the absence
of which their development and wellbeing would be seriously endangered. For most
children, these things are provided as a matter of course, as a result of which they
generally grow up to be healthy, well adjusted, productive members of society.
A minority of children, however, are not so fortunate. Risks to their wellbeing come
from a range of sources, including both factors associated with the environment
within which they are being raised (the family/whānau, community, peers and
wider society) and factors intrinsic to the children (such as chronic ill-health,
disability, age and temperament).”
The White Paper also noted that:
“A minority of children in New Zealand are at significant risk of harm to their
wellbeing now and into the future because of the environment in which they are
being raised and, in some cases, their own complex needs. Environmental factors
that influence child vulnerability include not having their basic emotional, physical,
social, developmental and cultural needs met at home and/or in their wider
communities. The concept of vulnerability provides a way of thinking about children
that recognises that their needs do not always fit neatly into the service categories
of government agencies, and that their wellbeing depends on the actions of their
parents, their wider families and whānau, their communities and government. The
factors that make children more or less vulnerable are often multiple and
interrelated in complex ways. Addressing those factors requires co-ordinated action
across the social sector, with families, communities and government working
together.”
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Appendix 4 - Potential indicators of abuse
Indicators are signs or symptoms that, when found either on their own or in various
combinations, point to possible abuse, family violence or neglect. In many cases, indicators
are found in combinations or clusters.
Indicators do not necessarily prove or mean that a child has been harmed.
Indicators are clues that alert us that abuse may have occurred and that a child may require
help or protection. Sometimes indicators can result from life events which do not involve
abuse e.g. accidental injury. The indicators below are not exhaustive lists and should be
taken as examples.
It is the responsibility of Child, Youth and Family and the Police to conduct an assessment or
investigation, as may be necessary or desirable, of the indicators to determine whether the
child has been or is likely to be harmed through abuse or neglect. Frontline Ministry staff
are required to be aware of, and able to identify, the potential indicators. Ministry staff are
required to take steps to report any issues or concerns to their line manager and/or
identified child protection subject matter expert so that appropriate actions can be taken.
If any member of staff is concerned about the safety of a child, it is important to report
those concerns. Staff can call 0508 FAMILY (0508 326 459) for advice. Child, Youth and
Family staff will discuss any concerns and can provide confidential practice advice.
Physical abuse
Physical indicators (often unexplained or inconsistent with explanation
given):
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bruises and welts
cuts and abrasions
burns
fractures and dislocations - particularly in very young children
multiple fractures at different stages of healing.
Behavioural indicators:
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gives inconsistent or vague explanations regarding injuries
is wary of adults or a particular person
vacant stare or frozen watchfulness
cringes or flinches if touched unexpectedly
may be extremely compliant and eager to please
dresses inappropriately to hide bruising or injuries
runs away from home or is afraid to go home
may regress (e.g. bedwetting)
may indicate general sadness
could have vision or hearing delay
is violent to other children or animals.
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Caregiver indicators:
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gives inconsistent or vague explanations regarding injuries
may appear unconcerned about the wellbeing of the child
may state the child is prone to injuries or lies about how they occur
delays in seeking medical attention
may take the child to multiple medical appointments and seek medical treatment
without an obvious need.
Sexual abuse
Physical indicators:
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unusual or excessive itching or pain in the genital or anal area
stained or bloody underclothing
bruises or bleeding in the genital or anal area
blood in urine or stools
sexually transmitted infections
pregnancy
urinary tract infections
discomfort in sitting or fidgeting as unable to sit comfortably.
Behavioural indicators:
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age-inappropriate sexual play or language
sophisticated or unusual sexual knowledge
refuses to go home (or to a specific person's home) for no apparent reason
fear of a certain person
depression or anxiety
withdrawal or aggression
self-destructive behaviour
overly compliant and eager to please
extreme attention seeking behaviours or extreme inhibition
dresses inappropriately to hide bruising or injuries or in an non-age appropriate
provocative manner
eating disorders
compulsive behaviours
vacant stare or frozen watchfulness
cringes or flinches if touched unexpectedly
runs away from home or is afraid to go home
may regress (e.g. bedwetting)
may indicate general sadness.
Caregiver indicators:
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may be unusually overprotective of the child
accuses the child of being sexually provocative
misuses alcohol or drugs
invades privacy (e.g. interrupting a child during dressing or in the bathroom)
may favour the victim over other children.
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Emotional abuse
Physical indicators:
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bed wetting or bed soiling with no medical cause
frequent psychosomatic complaints (e.g. headaches and nausea)
pale and emaciated
prolonged vomiting or diarrhoea
malnutrition
dressed differently to other children in the family/whānau.
Behavioural indicators:
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severe developmental lags with obvious physical cause
depression or anxiety
withdrawal or aggression
self-destructive behaviour
overly compliant
extreme attention seeking behaviours or extreme inhibition
running away from home or avoiding attendance at school
poor sleeping patterns
anti-social behaviours
lack of self esteem
obsessive behaviours
eating disorders.
Caregiver indicators:
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labels the child as inferior or publicly humiliates the child (e.g. name calling)
treats the child differently from siblings or peers in ways that suggest dislike
actively refuses to help the child
threatens the child with physical harm or death
locks the child in a closet or room for extended periods of time
teaches or reinforces criminal behaviour
withholds physical and verbal affection
keeps the child at home in the role of servant or surrogate parent
has unrealistic expectations of the child
involves the child in adult issues such as separation or disputes
exposes child to situations of arguing and violence in the home.
Neglect
Physical indicators:
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dressed inappropriately for the season or the weather
often extremely dirty and unwashed
severe nappy rash or other persistent skin disorders
inadequately supervised or left unattended frequently or for long periods
may be left in the care of an inappropriate adult
does not receive adequate medical or dental care
malnourished - this can be both underweight or overweight
lacks adequate shelter.
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Behavioural indicators:
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severe developmental lags without an obvious physical cause
lack of attachment to parents or caregivers
indiscriminate attachment to other adults
poor school attendance and performance
demanding of affection and attention
engages in risk taking behaviour such as drug and alcohol abuse
poor social skills
no understanding of basic hygiene.
Caregiver indicators:
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puts their own needs ahead of the needs of the child
fails to provide the basic needs of the child
demonstrates little or no interest in the life of the child
leaves the child alone or inappropriately supervised
drug and alcohol use
is depressed.
Intimate partner violence
Children may also be negatively impacted by adult-to-adult intimate partner violence, which
includes physical and/or sexual violence, threats to harm people, pets or property and
causes family/whānau members to live in fear. Where there is intimate partner violence,
children are affected, either emotionally or physically, even if they are not personally
injured or physically present.
Indicators in a child exposed to an environment where intimate
partner violence occurs:
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physical injuries consistent with the indicators of physical abuse
absenteeism from school
bullying or aggressive behaviour
complaints of headaches or stomach aches with no apparent medical reason
talking or describing violent behaviours.
Indicators in the intimate partner victim:
 physical injuries including bruising to chest and abdomen, scratches, black eyes,
broken bones etc.
 depression and anxiety
 inconsistent explanations for injuries
 fearful and submissive.
Indicators in the perpetrator of intimate partner violence:
 isolates and controls partner and children
 threatens and uses aggressive and physical abuse towards partner and children and
pets
 minimises and denies own behaviour
 blames the victim for their own behaviour.
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