ABSTRACT
New Zealand has developed some novel procedures for dealing with child abuse and the protection of children in danger. Despite this, the outsider must be disturbed by the picture in New Zealand. The headline of one story was 'Tiny girl caught in horrific cycle of family abuse'. The principal mechanism outside the criminal law for dealing with child abuse in New Zealand is the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989. The lead-up to the passage of the Act was fraught. The original form of the legislation was vastly different from the final version. Highly influential in the early stages were professionals and others keen to see child abuse tackled vigorously. The procedures for handling child abuse cases depend in large measure on whether the child is, or is believed to be, in need of care and protection. Accurate statistical information on notifications of child abuse trends is hard to obtain.
