Lay summary
Violence is a serious issue across communities within Aotearoa NZ today. Commissioned reports, academic publications and media commentaries regularly highlight the exhaustive costs of violence to those involved and society at large. Pacific peoples in Aotearoa/NZ continue to feature disproportionately in statistics regarding family violence with considerably high rates of domestic violence. While there are a plethora of reports on Pacific communities, research with Pacific communities that is guided by indigenous knowledge, which informs responses and preventive measures is limited. It is this gap in research and action, which this HRC research project will address. This is achieved through: a) identifying Pacific indigenised understandings intertwined with spiritual-faith, b) examining how these are understood and utilised by families and practitioners c) exploring the psychological impact of Pacific indigenised faith-based approaches on family violence prevention and rehabilitation.