Child Protection Statistics

On average, 1 child dies every 6 and a half weeks in New Zealand, from abuse or family violence. (Based on statistics over the past 10 years | Child Matters)

New Zealand ranks 32nd out of 36 developed countries for child wellbeing outcomes (mental health, physical health, and skills for children). (UNICEF Innocenti Report 2024)

Children and Violence statistics as at 31 December 2024:

Against young people aged 15-19 years old:

5,709 cases of sexual assault and other assault
3,963 cases of serious assault without injury
2,149 cases of serious assault resulting in injury
1,223 cases of common assault
1,683 cases of aggravated sexual assault
339 hospitalisations due to assault, abuse, or neglect (including ED)

(Salvation Army State of the Nation released February 2025)

New Zealand’s youth suicide rate is 17.1%
(UNICEF Innocenti Report 2024)

Ministry of Justice statistics regarding sexual abuse

1 in 5 young people disclosed being touched or made to do sexual things against their will.

1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before the age of 18.

The median age is 9.

92% of sexual assaults are not reported.

For every 100 victims:

3 result in charges
And 1 is convicted

Those with sexual diversity are six times more likely to experience sexual assault. (1 in 9 with sexual diversity vs. 1 in 60 without sexual diversity)
(https://helpauckland.org.nz/resources/sexual-abuse-statistics-summary/)

New Zealand is ranked 29th out of 36 developed countries for child poverty.

21% of Kiwi kids live in poverty.

(UNICEF Innocenti Report 2024)

Children with Disabilities

1 in 3 suffer emotional or physical abuse
1 in 5 suffer neglect
1 in 10 suffer sexual abuse
40% have been bullied by their peers

In-person bullying is more common in children with disabilities, whereas children without disabilities are more often bullied online.

(Lancet Study)

Online abuse

Overall, 7 in 10 teens in New Zealand have experienced at least one type of unwanted digital communication in the past year.

The most common types of unwanted digital communications were:

Being contacted by a stranger
Accidentally seeing inappropriate content online

Compared to other ethnic groups, Māori and Pacific teens were more likely to report receiving unwanted digital communications across a range of different types.

Nearly 2 in 10 (19%) of NZ teens experienced an unwanted digital communication that had a negative impact on their daily activities

The most common consequences they reported were being unable to participate online as they used to, and to go to school or study.
Teens with disabilities were significantly more likely than non-disabled teens to be unable to go to school or study.
The impact of unwanted digital communications on performing daily activities was more likely to affect younger teens.

Experiences of distress and harm are gendered. Girls not only were more likely to experience an unwanted digital communication but also to be emotionally affected and unable to carry on with daily activities because of it.

Teens’ most common immediate responses to an unwanted digital communication were to

Block the person responsible
Ignore the situation, or
Report the problem to an adult

If teens received an unwanted digital communication in the future, they would turn to parents and close friends for help first.

(Netsafe. (2018). New Zealand teens and digital harm: Statistical insights into experiences, impact and response. Retrieved from https://www.netsafe.org.nz/NZ-teens-and-digital-harm_statisticalinsights_2018.pdf)

Family Violence

It is estimated that the economic cost of family violence is $7 billion per year, with sexual violence at $6.9 billion per year in New Zealand. (Understanding the current state of Family Violence, Te Puna Aonui, 2024)

Each year, NZ Police conduct more than 100,000 investigations relating to family violence. Nearly half of all homicides and reported violence crimes are family violence related. (Ministry of Justice, 2025)

There is one call to Police every four minutes about family violence (Annual Police Report)