The Tiaki Tinana is a project since its inception in September 29 2006, provided to Maori a response for Rape Prevention. Tiaki Tinana has been delivered throughout the wider Auckland Area and Northland.
In the past year the Tiaki Tinana project has developed relationships with Maori communities, developed a reference roopu to ensure the integrity of its work with Maori communities and contributed to research initiatives which informed sector activity.
The projects facilitated waananga have introduced whanau and community to; the prevalence, dynamics and effects of rape and sexual abuse, created discussion how whanau can effectively respond to disclosure and how to manage the disclosures of offending behaviour by offenders, supporting the work of counselors and therapists working in the sexual health and family violence sector
The project provides education on how to minimize opportunity within Maori communities and informs whanau how to recognise situational, environmental and biological factors, and there by prevent sexual offending occurring in their communities.
The Tiaki Tinana project work has highlighted key issues for Maori;
The need for a Maori framework for professionals working with Maori
Stronger cohesive partnerships with Mana Whenua and their engagement on policy and strategy for rape prevention
Research that informs the rape prevention strategy and policy. Though there are some key research documents which report on sexual offending, there is very little evidence to support the anecdotal discussions that assume all sexual offending against Maori is by Maori. The need to increase the capacity of Maori professionals to respond to disclosure in rural communities and urban communities that reflect a high population of Maori.
Contact Russell Smith, Tiaki Tinana Project Manager russell@rapecrisis.org.nz