Our Vision for Children and Survivors — Protecting Tamariki, Ending Cycles of Violence

Aotearoa faces a grim reality: we rank fifth highest in the OECD for child abuse deaths, with a child lost every five weeks to family violence alone. This national emergency spills over into enduring trauma for survivors and communities, exacerbated by underfunded protection and rehabilitation services

At BLACKOUTNZ, we declare child sexual exploitation and abuse a national emergency demanding urgent, comprehensive action. Our Children & Survivors Protection Plan envisages a survivor-centered, trauma-informed approach that combines:

1. Severe Sentencing: Minimum 20-year custodial terms for proven child sexual exploitation offenses and lifelong offender monitoring, ensuring community safety and justice.

2. Mandatory Rehabilitation: Specialized psychological care and community reintegration programs aimed at healing trauma, reducing recidivism, and restoring whānau bonds.

3. Survivor Restitution Fund: Publicly funded support offering lifetime care, counselling, and education, recognizing the enduring impact of violence and the need for sustained assistance.

4. Prevention Curricula: National roll-out of comprehensive education in schools and youth services on body autonomy, consent, and digital safety, equipping tamariki with knowledge and agency.

5. Community-Led Safe Houses & Policing: Funded initiatives develop trauma-informed policing units and safe spaces across regions, empowering communities to respond with care, not punishment.

   
   

This ambitious plan interrupts cycles of violence and trauma by centering survivors’ rights and whānau wellbeing. Safety and justice are fundamental human rights—not privileges—and our vision ensures that every tamariki grows in an environment where healing is possible, and futures are brightened by support, not circumstance.