Changing landscapes: Responding to domestic violence in New Zealand

Abstract

Domestic violence is not a recent phenomenon; rather it is one which has endured. To understand professional social work responses to domestic violence it is necessary to examine theories of causation since these inform ideas about intervention. How social work responds to domestic violence is context dependent. This article examines the causal explanations and contextual factors that have shaped New Zealand’s social work response to domestic violence. Suggestions are made for maximising a multifaceted, anti-discriminatory approach to practice.