Government action plan on gangs includes measures to address family violence

An action plan on gangs announced by the Government this week includes measures on family violence.

Police and Corrections Minister Anne Tolley announced "a multi-agency approach involving intelligence-gathering, enhanced law enforcement, prevention, intervention, rehabilitation and reintegration" to address "New Zealand gangs and transnational crime groups."

Anne Tolley noted links between gang membership and family violence, including child abuse and negelct.

Measures relevant to family violence include:

• Using a new multi-agency "Gang Intelligence Centre" to identify "vulnerable children and family members who may need social service support," as well as young people at risk of joining gangs;
• A "Start at Home" programme of work to include providing safety planning and support for women with gang connections who are at risk of family violence on release from prison;
• "Start at Home" would also include enhanced prisoner reintegration and rehabilitation programmes by Corrections targeted at gang members, with "access to violence and addiction services and support to access training, education, employment and housing, possibly in new locations away from gang life."

For more information, see Anne Tolley's announcement.

For responses to the announcement, see the media coverage below.

Recent research on gangs, intimate partner violence and sexual violence includes:

• ‍Ulloa, EC et al, Inter-partner violence in the context of gangs: a review, Aggression and Violent Behavior, 2012, 17(5): 397-404 ‍
• Simon, T et al, Changing course: Preventing gang membership, Office of Justice Programmes, National Institute of Justice, Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (USA), 2013‍
• Earlier research, including New Zealand research, is available by doing a search on 'gangs' in the Clearinghouse library.