By 3 News online staff
Child abuse and domestic violence already cost New Zealand more than $7 billion a year and it's rising, an inquiry has found.
The Glenn Inquiry, bankrolled by businessman and philanthropist Sir Owen Glenn, released its economic impact study today. It estimates the cost of domestic violence is seven times more than it was 20 years ago, and could grow to $80 billion in the next decade.
Inquiry chair Bill Wilson QC says the economic impact shows family violence is "everyone's problem".
"Our business and political leaders recently expressed alarm that a fall in dairy prices has wiped $4 billion off the New Zealand economy this season, yet it turns out family violence could be costing society almost twice that every year."
The report estimates nearly $1 billion a year is lost in workplace productivity because of abuse and violence.
Victims also pay a high price in terms of pain, suffering and early death, including high rates of depression and anxiety, with children bearing more than $1 billion of the annual cost.
But the report's authors believe the true cost estimated between $4.1 billion and $7 billion could be understated because of gaps in data collection and historically restricted sharing of information between government agencies.
Report author Suzanne Snively calculates treating victims costs $377 million a year. More than twice that is spent on victim and survivor support, child protection, police, court, Corrections and legal services.
Productivity costs, such as lost wages and days off work, are estimated at $1 billion. Benefit payments, ACC compensation and lost tax revenue is $600 million, and there is an extra $700 million spent on costs, such as women now living alone.
"We don't want to give the impression we know all the answers, but what we have done is pulled together all the evidence out there and this is the number we came up with," says Ms Snively. "It's 60 percent of what we earn from our dairy exports every year."
Ms Snively believes we could adopt Australia's workplace protections scheme. Victims are moved away from violence, and it's been found their productivity increases.
She says there's another solution closer to home – neighbours simply being kind and supportive.
The Glenn Inquiry warns if child abuse and domestic violence aren't curbed in 10 years' time, it will cost New Zealand $80 billion a year.
The estimates also only take into account abuse against children and between intimate partners such as spouses and girlfriends, and does not include elder abuse or violence between siblings.
More than 250,000 women between 17 and 65 will have experienced family violence in the year ending June 2014, the report says.
It says costs have escalated because most Government funding seems to have gone to addressing the symptoms of domestic violence, while there have only been small increases in investment in services which offer long-term solutions.
3 News
source: newshub archive
