New Zealand to Train 10,000 Frontline Workers in Family and Sexual Violence Response

In a major step to strengthen the frontline response to family and sexual violence, the New Zealand government is rolling out extensive new training for staff across critical public services. The initiative, which aims to train 10,000 workers over the next two years, forms a core element of the country’s broader Te Aorerekura strategy to prevent and respond to violence.

Targeted, Practice-Focused Training

Karen Chhour, Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, emphasized the transformative potential of this training: “This will ensure victim-survivors receive best practice support and will empower staff to safely recognise, refer, and respond to family and sexual violence.”

The training spans a wide array of agencies—justice, corrections, and police—with tailored content aligned to each sector’s role in supporting victim-survivors and preventing further harm. “This is not just a box-ticking exercise,” Chhour said. “It’s about building the confidence and competence of those who are often first in contact with victims.”

Training Highlights Across Agencies

• Ministry of Justice: Over 800 court-related staff have already received specialist training, with the ministry targeting an additional 500 personnel annually going forward.

• Department of Corrections: More than 4,700 staff have undergone essential-level family violence training, aimed at enhancing safety both within correctional facilities and among the communities corrections staff serve.

• New Zealand Police: The training curriculum for new recruits was redesigned in 2024 to include a dedicated two-week module on family violence. In its first year, over 550 recruits completed the program, and projections suggest over 850 will be trained by the end of 2025.

Part of Te Aorerekura Action Plan

The rollout is a key component of the second Te Aorerekura Action Plan, New Zealand’s national strategy for eliminating family and sexual violence through a unified, multi-agency approach.

“The Action Plan sets out a number of bold but necessary targets,” Minister Chhour said. “Achieving them will require sustained cross-agency collaboration and reinforced commitment across the public sector.”

Chhour praised the early progress as a sign of growing alignment and urgency among government departments, noting that the integrated response model was already delivering measurable improvements in service delivery and victim engagement.

A Cultural and Structural Shift

Te Aorerekura envisions not only procedural improvements, but a cultural shift in how agencies understand, discuss, and tackle family and sexual violence. Training is seen as a foundation for embedding that change, especially at the frontline where victims often seek help first.

“This boldness is needed to improve the support provided to victim-survivors and will empower these frontline workers to undertake their roles with the greatest care,” Chhour said.

As the training programs expand, the government expects more than just improved individual capabilities. It anticipates a more coordinated, trauma-informed, and survivor-centered approach to family and sexual violence—one that helps reduce re-traumatization and promotes long-term safety and wellbeing for individuals, whānau, and communities across Aotearoa.