New Zealand Launches Little Matters Initiative to Prevent Child Sexual Harm

The Government has launched a new prevention initiative for parents and caregivers to help keep New Zealand children safe from sexual harm, Associate Minister for ACC Nicola Grigg says.

Little Matters is a set of 10 everyday actions that the adults in young children’s lives can take to build healthy relationships and create safer environments.

For too long we’ve been putting the onus on children to keep themselves safe, when parents, caregivers and whānau also play a vital role in ensuring our kids are protected, Ms Grigg says.

We know that preventing sexual harm takes more than one conversation or action.

Little Matters provides evidence-based messaging and actions for adults to use and will also be integrated into sexual harm prevention services and programmes.

In the past year, ACC received over 14,000 new sensitive claims and supported over 40,000 New Zealanders who have experienced sexual abuse or assault. For many, this harm happened to them as a child or young person.

Changing this trajectory takes time. We need to take action on multiple fronts to reduce harm, and that includes preventing abuse before it happens.

Little Matters opens up the conversation about sexual harm and provides tools to help keep children safe so they have the opportunity to develop healthier and safer future relationships.

The initiative is being launched through social media, integrated into prevention services and programmes and disseminated through organisations and communities. Its effectiveness will be measured through independent research to track shifts in understanding, attitudes, and self-reported behaviours.

From June the Little Matters toolkit will be integrated with ACC’s Hikitia! For Our Future community prevention partners in Northland, Tauranga, Gisborne, Nelson, and Dunedin.