20357 version 2

Page 1 of 5

Outline structural issues related to abuse, neglect, and violence in whānau/family and foster care

Level / 4
Credits / 5

PurposePeople awarded this unit standard are able to: outline selected historical and contemporary structural issues related to abuse, neglect, and violence, and outline selected historical and contemporary structural issues related to abuse, neglect, and violence in a whānau/family and foster care situation.

Subfield / Social Services
Domain / Social Service Work with Abuse, Neglect, and Violence
Status / Registered
Status date / 24 November 2003
Date version published / 21 September 2007
Planned review date / 31 December 2009
Entry information / Open.
Accreditation / Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and industry.
Standard setting body (SSB) / Community Support Services ITO Limited (Careerforce)
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference / 0222

This AMAP can be accessed at

Special notes

1People awarded credit in this unit standard are able to outline the meaning of the articles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the relevance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to social service work, and are able to apply this competence to the context of assessment for this unit standard (for further clarification, please refer to Unit 19408, Outline the meaning and relevance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in social service work).

2Glossary

Abuse, neglect, and violence includes abusive, neglectful, violent, or controlling behaviour that may be economic, emotional, physical, social, verbal, spiritual, and/or sexual in nature.

Structures may include but are not limited to: cultural, economic, gender, kinship, legal, political, and social structures. Structures may include churches, media, and sports and recreational structures.

Structural issues arise from the functioning of cultural, economic, gender, kinship, legal, political, and social structural arrangements in Aotearoa New Zealand. Structural issues may include but are not limited to: gender differences in the use of violence; gender differences in the experience of violence used against them; ideological bases for violence; patriarchal structures; power and control based on age, gender, class, culture, and race; impact of social policy on individuals, families and whānau; cultural and gender-based perceptions and acceptance of violence as normal behaviour; modelling of violence as normal or acceptable behaviour through media and sport.

Legislative change refers to the enacting of the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975, Crimes Amendment Act (No 3) 1985, Evidence Amendment Act (No 2) 1980, Summary Proceedings Amendment Act (No 4) 1985, Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989, and Domestic Violence Act 1995.

Whānau/family and foster care includes kinship care, whānau care, foster care, and foster homes.

3Resources

Ministerial Advisory Committee on a Māori Perspective for the Department of Social Welfare. 2001 reprint. Puao-te-Ata-tu (Daybreak): The Report of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on a Māori Perspective for the Department of Social Welfare. Wellington: Department of Social Welfare. Available online from Child, Youth and Family ( and the Ministry of Social Development (

United Nations Declarations and Conventions, which may be found at the following web site:

Some of the United Nations Declarations and Conventions may be found in te reo Māori and English through the following index on the web site for Te Puni Kōkiri:

Elements and performance criteria

Element 1

Outline selected historical and contemporary structural issues related to abuse, neglect, and violence.

Performance criteria

1.1Historical and contemporary cultural perspectives on abuse, neglect, and violence are outlined.

Rangehistorical and contemporary cultural perspectives – evidence is required of either Māori or one Tauiwi culture;

historical structures may include historical structures from the country of origin of the Tauiwi culture.

1.2The impact of historical and contemporary structures on power and control within interpersonal relationships is outlined.

Rangeinterpersonal relationships may include but are not limited to – marital, intergenerational whānau/family relationships.

1.3Power relationships that model and support the use of abuse, neglect, and violence are outlined.

Rangepower relationships – hierarchical; patriarchal; power relationships based on age, gender, class, culture, sexual orientation, race.

Evidence is required of two.

1.4Ways in which power and control are used within kinship relationships are outlined.

Rangeways in which power and control are used within kinship relationships may include but are not limited to – economic abuse, emotional abuse, isolation, intimidation, legal, male privilege, mental abuse, ownership, physical abuse, sexual abuse, threats.

Evidence is required of two.

1.5Past legal and social changes are outlined in terms of recognition of abuse, neglect, and violence.

Rangepast legal and social changes may include but are not limited to – abolition of child labour, legislative changes, Mary Ellen case, migration, Puao-Te-Ata-Tu, United Nations Declarations and Conventions, urbanisation.

Evidence is required in relation to two significant legal and social changes in terms of recognition of abuse, neglect, and violence.

Element 2

Outline selected historical and contemporary structural issues related to abuse, neglect, and violence in a whānau/family and foster care situation.

Rangeevidence is required relating to a real or simulated example of a child or young person in whānau/family and foster care who has experienced abuse, neglect, or violence either within their own family or whānau, or in another whānau/family and foster care situation, or in another place such as a school.

Performance criteria

2.1Cultural perspectives on abuse, neglect, and violence in the whānau/family and foster care situation are identified and outlined.

2.2The impacts of historical and contemporary structures on power and control within interpersonal relationships in the whānau/family and foster care situation are identified and outlined.

2.3Power relationships that model and support the use of abuse, neglect, and violence in the whānau/family and foster care situation are identified and outlined.

Rangepower relationships – hierarchical; patriarchal; power relationships based on age, gender, class, culture, sexual orientation, race.

Evidence is required of two.

2.4Ways in which power and control are used within kinship relationships in the whānau/family and foster care situation are identified and outlined.

Rangeways in which power and control are used may include but are not limited to – economic abuse, emotional abuse, isolation, intimidation, legal, male privilege, mental abuse, ownership, physical abuse, sexual abuse, threats.

Evidence is required of two.

Please note

Providers must be accredited by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.

Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.

Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.

Accreditation requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The AMAP also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.

Comments on this unit standard

Please contact Community Support Services ITO Limited (Careerforce) if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.

 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018