The needs of Pacific Peoples when they are victims of crime.

Abstract

It is important that the perspectives and needs of Pacific peoples are taken into account when developing policies and support services for victims of crime. To this end, the Ministry of Justice commissioned research, with support from the Health Research Council of New Zealand, to provide information about Pacific victims of crime. The information in this research report expands upon that provided by the 2001 New Zealand National Survey of Crime Victims. The objectives of the research were to gather in-depth information about victims of crime amongst the six main Pacific ethnic groups, and to ascertain the use and appropriateness of informal and formal support services for Pacific victims. More particularly, it was designed to identify health-related needs and appropriate measures to meet those needs, to identify appropriate support mechanisms provided by criminal justice sector agencies, and to establish where additional support might be required. The researchers used Pacific theoretical frameworks and research methodologies, which resulted in a rich array of information. The findings reported here provide valuable insights into the impact of criminal victimisation on Pacific peoples, and the ways in which policies and service provision for Pacific victims of crime might be improved.