Vine Quick Reads: 13 February 2026

Vine Quick Reads: 13 February 2026

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

UN call for input on accelerating progress towards preventing adolescent girls’ pregnancy

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is calling for input to inform a report on accelerating progress towards preventing adolescent girls’ pregnancy. The Office has outlined further information and guiding questions on topics like access and barriers to sexual and reproductive healthcare, the drivers of adolescent pregnancy, and effective preventive measures. More information on making a submission is available at the link above. Submissions close 9 March 2026.

New report explores the hidden crisis of sexual violence against LGBTQI+ children and youth

The Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) has published Silence Is Not Protection: The Hidden Crisis of Sexual Violence Against LGBTQI+ Children and Youth (2026). The report explores the persistent exclusion of LGBTQI+ children and youth from child protection systems globally. It argues this systemic silence and marginalisation places LGBTQI+ young people at greater risk of harm.

New study explores sexual orientation, crime victimisation, and relationship to the offender

A new open access article in the journal Public Health examines sexual orientation differences in crime victimisation rates by known and unknown offenders: Sexual orientation, crime victimization, and relationship to the offender: insights from New Zealand police records, 2014–2024 (2026). For an overview, see NZ needs stronger hate-crime law, a piece written by one the study’s co-authors.

Salvation Army release their 2026 State of the Nation Report

The Salvation Army – Te Ope Whakaora has released State of the nation 2026: foundations of wellbeing | poipoia te kākano (2026). The report uses publicly accessible data to assess the Nation’s wellbeing across five domains: Children and Youth, Work and Incomes, Housing, Crime and Punishment, and Social Hazards. For each of these domains, the report assessed Māori wellbeing using Pou Tangata’s framework, Te Ora o Te Whānau. The Salvation Army has also published an interactive data dashboard where users can view and download the report’s underlying data. For media coverage, see Te Ao Māori News, RNZ, and the Pacific Media Network.