Cook Islands - Pacific Prevention of Domestic Violence Programme

Cook Islands
Police attitudes to traditional cultural attitudes towards domestic violence
To gauge Police attitudes to traditional cultural views on domestic violence, I asked the
interviewees if it was ever acceptable for a man to beat his wife. There was little overt support
for the traditional view. However, some male Officers admitted that they had been violent
towards female partners in the past, although they said they no longer did so. Moreover, some
Officers, both male and female, held the view that women are responsible for their own
victimisation, perhaps through pushing men to the limit, unfaithfulness, or gambling.
Police attitudes to traditional local or village approaches towards dealing with domestic violence
As previously noted, most Police Officers endorsed the view that domestic violence is best
dealt with through traditional processes of consultation and dialogue. Some had a vision of
the community and Police working together to address domestic violence, particularly given
the delay between introducing new laws and concepts and having them understood and
accepted in the community.
The Police need to go back into the community. The main problem is drinking. People
waste money at housie, and then they drink and argue about money. We should work
with people in the villages: create things with them, get them involved. Introducing new
laws will take years. We need to get the message to people and work together. We need
to do other things besides the law.
It’s the duty of every family to report domestic violence to the Police. The family has a
role to play instead of keeping quiet.
Commentary on linkages between attitudes and behaviour
The attitudes and behaviour of Police Officers are shaped by social and cultural values and
structures. These include Officers’ understandings of the causes and dynamics of domestic
violence and their responsibilities towards and expectations of extended family members and
members of small communities who know each other well.
There has traditionally been a high level of acceptance of male violence against women in the
Cook Islands. In many respects this was reflected in the attitudes of Police Officers who
minimised the seriousness of domestic violence and did not understand the impact of violent
victimisation on women’s self-confidence, esteem, and ability to act.
This is coupled with a culture of silence and shame, which exerts a strong prohibition against
victims, family members, or others who are aware of domestic violence, speaking out or
intervening. The resistance to involving Police in family matters may extend to Police
Officers being reluctant to intervene, or if they do, approaching it from the perspective of a
community member, rather than an enforcer of the law.
A community stakeholder said that such attitudes have a negative impact on victims’
perceptions of the Police.
The public attitude towards Police is one of distrust. Male Police sometimes side with
offenders. Some Police have a bad attitude, so women don’t trust them. They say ‘They
didn’t do what I wanted them to do; they’re useless’. It’s not all Officers, just some.
Police attitudes and behaviours were also adversely affected by organisational factors, and
particularly poor resourcing. A consistent theme in the interviews was that the Police’s ability
to respond to domestic violence callouts was curtailed by too few personnel and inadequate
transport.
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