Lay summary
I am a Sāmoan student at the University of Otago currently enrolled in the Clinical Psychology programme and Master of Science programme. My work experience is in the family violence sector through work at Corrections delivering rehabilitation programmes to reduce reoffending and recently at a Pacific provider leading their family violence prevention programme. This has greatly influenced my passion to research Pacific family violence.
My aim is to interview and gather information from Sāmoan families regarding what they believe is contributing to the shift in family violence attitudes within Pacific communities. Often Pacific family violence programmes, strategies and interventions are deficit-focused. I hope to focus on protective factors that Sāmoan families themselves are nurturing and building to mitigate violence in the home. Decreasing family violence statistics can lower economic and psychological costs and ethnic specific strategies can improve support provided to marginalised and minority communities.