Vine Quick Reads: 20 May 2025

Welcome to our Quick Reads format. Each week we share selected news bites relevant to family violence and sexual violence in Aotearoa.

Inquiry into Oranga Tamaki released by the Office of the Auditor-General

Tumuaki o te Mana Arotake | The Office of the Auditor-General has released Oranga Tamariki: Inquiry into procurement and contract management (2025). This inquiry was undertaken after concerns about contract management were raised with the Auditor-General’s Office in July 2024. The report focusses on the contracting and procurement practices of Oranga Tamariki during the 2024/2025 funding round. It also looked at the reconciliation process for the 2023/2024 period. A summary of the inquiry is available. For more, see RNZ’s coverage, Social services react to damning report into Oranga Tamariki.

Report on young peoples’ exposure to extremely harmful content, released by Classification Office

Te Mana Whakaatu | Classifications Office have published Content that crosses the line: conversations with young people about extremely harmful content online (2025). This consultation report draws on conversations with 10 groups of young people across Aotearoa who had been exposed to extremely harmful material. They shared:

personal experiences of seeing extremely harmful material;
how exposure to harmful content is often unintentional, appearing in social media feeds, chat groups, or shared directly by others;
a range of impacts experienced as a result of being exposed to extremely harmful material;
the lack of support available to them upon being exposed to harmful content.

UNICEF report: Innocenti Report Card 19: Child Wellbeing at Risk in an Unpredictable World

A new report has been published in the UNICEF Innocenti research series: Report Card 19: Child Wellbeing at Risk in an Unpredictable World (2025). Comparing data from 2018-2022, this report provides a global snapshot of child wellbeing with regards to mental health, physical health, and social, emotional and academic skills. The report situates its findings amidst the compounding crises of COVID, armed conflict and climate change, alongside developments in digital technology and shifting demographic. UNICEF Aotearoa has provided a summary of the reports implications for Aotearoa. Mana Mokopuna | Children & Young People’s Commission have issued a media release in response.

Department of Internal Affairs release the 2024 Transparency Report: Digital Child Exploitation

Te Tari Taiwhenua | Internal Affairs have released their 2024 Transparency Report: Digital Child Exploitation, which provides an overview of the online child sexual exploitation landscape in Aotearoa. The report shares key data and insights on referral volumes, investigations, the digital child exploitation filtering systems, our international footprint, and prevention and education activities. ECPAT Child Alert, an organisation working to end the sexual exploitation of children in Aotearoa, have responded to the 2024 Transparency report.

Te Puna Aonui launch their Family Violence Training Directory

Te Puna Aonui have launched the Family Violence Training Directory to support the identification of training aligned with the Family Violence Entry to Expert Capability Framework (2022). The Training Directory aims to create a transparent and accessible national overview of family violence training, helping to build and sustain the family violence and sexual violence workforce. For more, read the Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour’s, address launching the directory.

Call for inputs by UN Committee on women, girls and enforced disappearances

The United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances is seeking input on their General Comment on the enforced disappearances of women and girls. An enforced disappearance is defined as the arrest, detention, abduction, or other deprivation of liberty of someone by the State, or through the support, implicit agreement, or acceptance of the State. The enforced disappearance of women and girls is a form of gender-based violence and has distinct causes and impacts on victims and their families. Submissions are dues 15 July 2025.

Welcome to our Quick Reads format. Each week we share selected news bites relevant to family violence and sexual violence in Aotearoa.