annotated bibliography of new zealand research into family violence

Fordham, B.–M. (2001). Caught in the cross-fire: Exploring the relationship between the impact onchildren of witnessing domestic violence and violent youth offending. Unpublished master’sthesis, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.See: www.nzfvc.org.nz/11902.pubTopic Areas: Women, Children, Adolescents, Perpetrators/offenders, Children as witnessesAbstract: This thesis explores the impact of domestic violence on children, and itsrelationship to violent youth crime. The reactions of children who have witnessed violentassaults on their mothers, whether or not the children themselves have been abused, requiresacknowledgement and understanding. This study provided a set of perspectives from groupsof people who have evidence of the link between the impact of domestic violence and youthcrime, but who are seldom consulted. The findings of the study indicate that childrenwitnessing abuse is only one of many factors that leads to violent youth offending. Theseyouth often come from families that are burdened with a number of problems and the lack ofskills to cope with these.Source: Author’s abstractFortune, C. G. (2000). Individual, family and offending characteristics of adolescent sexual offenders:Factors associated with those with a history of sexual and physical abuse and those with‘special needs’. Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Auckland, New Zealand.See: www.nzfvc.org.nz/13139.pubTopic Areas: Child abuse and neglect, Physical abuse, Sexual abuse, Families, Adolescents,Perpetrators/offenders, Mental health, Drug and alcohol abuse, Social services,Demographics/statisticsAbstract: The present study develops a profile of the individual, family and offencecharacteristics of adolescent sexual offenders. To achieve this, the files of 155 male clientswho were assessed by a community-based treatment programme for adolescent sexualoffenders in Auckland, New Zealand, were reviewed. Adolescent sexual offenders werefound to have parents who were divorced or separated and to have severe behaviouralproblems. In particular, they were involved in high levels of externalising behaviours. Themajority of adolescent sexual offenders were found to have a history of sexual and/or physicalabuse. The present study found that both sexual and physical abuse were related to severeproblems and to family dysfunction. A review of the literature reveals that there is very littleresearch on adolescent sexual offenders with ‘special needs’, their individual, family, andoffence characteristics. In contrast to international research, which suggests that adolescentsexual offenders with ‘special needs’ do not differ form ‘normal’ adolescent sexual offenderson rates of behavioural and family problems, the findings of the present study indicate thatsome significant differences exist. Directions for future research are considered. The clinicalimplications of the findings are also discussed, highlighting the high rates of child abuse andbehavioural problems found among adolescent sexual offenders. Suggestions are made basedon the findings. This includes the need for treatment programmes designed for adolescentsexual offenders to address issues relating to the offenders’ own victimisation and behaviourproblems. The findings also highlight a need to include families in therapy to addressdistortions about sexual offending held by the families.Source: Author’s abstractFortune, S. A. (2003). Treating suicidal children, adolescents and their families. Unpublished doctoraldissertation, University of Auckland, New Zealand.66