Warning: This article contains references to sexual harm which may be distressing to some audiences.
Māori personalities including Hana Tapiata, TJ Perenara and Shiray Kaka are backing Little Matters, an ACC initiative helping whānau keep tamariki safe from sexual harm.
Little Matters focuses on small, everyday actions that help build safer and healthier relationships for children and whānau.
Author and advocate Hana Tapiata is one of the faces behind the kaupapa.
“He kaupapa nā ACC hei whakawhanake i ngā pūkenga tiaki a tātou tamariki o roto ake i te whānau, engari he mahi mā te hapori, e pai ai ake ai tō tātou poipoi i a tātou tamariki.”
The campaign highlights 10 practical habits, including open communication, using correct names for body parts and cyber safety.
ACC’s Renee Graham says Little Matters was founded on tikanga Māori.
“You’ll hear a lot in our dialogue that it’s little but it matters, and actually doing the little things regularly can help shed a light on the importance of protecting our children from sexual abuse and sexual violence.”
Te whakapāoho i te karere ki te marea
Graham says discussing sexual harm online can be difficult because social media platforms often censor certain words.
“Platforms get blocked because of the words that they use like sex and penis. [When] you’re in a real provider that’s promoting on educating on sexual health I mean, that becomes really problematic. So what we decided to do is actually use it in a creative way,” she adds.
“What we know is that one in three or women and one in eight men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime - it’s a really important issue and we know that that’s just a fraction.”
Me aro ki te tapu o te tangata
One of the Little Matters principles Tapiata uses in her own kāinga is “Protect Tapu”.
“He akiaki i a māua tamariki kia whakamōhio mai ai rātou, mēnā kei te pai te piri tata, te awhi, te harirū, te aha rānei.”
TJ Perenara also highlighted this in a Little Matters video, noting many tamariki are raised to harirū others - often with a hug or kiss - as a sign of respect.
But what happens when a tamaiti doesn’t want to harirū in that way, and where does tikanga intersect with consent?
Perenara says, “For us and our whānau, we choose to give our kids the option of who has access to their bodies.”
“Kāre i kore me panoni [i ngā tikanga] kia hāngai ki te wā,” Tapiata says.
“Engari mēnā kei te whakaako i te tapu o te tinana, te tapu o te tinana o tangata kē atu hoki, ka pēhea tō tātou whakatauira i tērā tapu, i ērā haepapa rānei, ki ō tātou tamariki.”
Korowaitia ngā tamariki ki te aroha
Russell Smith has worked in the sexual harm space for tamariki for more than 20 years and is the Kaiārahi Tāne for Korowai Tūmanako.
He says sexual harm is one of the most devastating things that can happen to a whānau or community.
“It’s has such a knock on effect into so many other areas of our moko’s lives,” he explains.
“It starts to take away their vision to dream, to hope, to create.”
He says whakawhanaungatanga and an intergenerational approach are key to this mahi.
“What we do is we work with, not just that moko, but with all of the tāne and wahine around that moko, giving them all information.”
Kia tūpato tātau i ngā hangarau o te wā
While sexual harm is not a new issue, Smith says modern technology has opened up new avenues for offending.
“Social media, video streaming platforms - our mokopuna’s minds are being hijacked. And it’s also been hijack by things of a sexual nature,” Smith says.
“What happens they take that what they’ve learnt online, offline.”
Smith says protecting tamariki is a collective responsibility and encourages whānau to support their mokopuna.
“After harm is firstly, firstly they need to be heard. Secondly, they need to be affirmed. Thirdly, they need to be believed.”
For more information, visit the Little Matters Facebook and Instagram pages.
Helplines:
Safe to Talk is a free, confidential and non-judgmental service for anyone affected by sexual harm - available free 24/7.
Call: 0800 044 334
Text: 4334
