What question did this study set out to answer?

To examine the experiences, impacts, and outcomes for whānau and family members reported to the state child protection agency in Aotearoa New Zealand.

August 16, 2026Kōtuitui New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences OnlineOpen Access

Experiences of Being Reported to Child Protection in Aotearoa New Zealand: Perspectives of Whānau/Family Members

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Authors

SCSarah Colhoun EKEmily Keddell LHLily Hornal

Discussion

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Overview

Mixed methods study uncovers pervasive trauma and perceived injustice among families reported to child protection, indicating reports of concern are often unreliable indicators of abuse.

Key Points

To examine the experiences, impacts, and outcomes for whānau and family members reported to the state child protection agency in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Conducted a mixed methods study using an online survey with whānau and individuals aged 18+ who were reported as children (N=72) to Oranga Tamariki or its predecessor.
Conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with a subset of participants (n=9).
Performed descriptive analyses on quantitative survey data and thematic analysis on all qualitative data.
Whānau reported widespread experiences of injustice, including false allegations, illogical administrative decisions, unjustified child removals, and extreme powerlessness.
Participants highlighted systemic inadequacies and trauma associated with child protection investigations, noting that initial reports of concern frequently act as an unreliable metric for actual child abuse.

Cite This Study

Colhoun et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a817a72f2fb91fc834ae40f https://doi.org/10.1002/kot2.70050

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August 16, 2026Kōtuitui New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences OnlineOpen Access

Experiences of Being Reported to Child Protection in Aotearoa New Zealand: Perspectives of Whānau/Family Members

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

SCSarah Colhoun EKEmily Keddell LHLily Hornal

Discussion

Member takes

Overview

Mixed methods study uncovers pervasive trauma and perceived injustice among families reported to child protection, indicating reports of concern are often unreliable indicators of abuse.

Key Points

To examine the experiences, impacts, and outcomes for whānau and family members reported to the state child protection agency in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Conducted a mixed methods study using an online survey with whānau and individuals aged 18+ who were reported as children (N=72) to Oranga Tamariki or its predecessor.
Conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with a subset of participants (n=9).
Performed descriptive analyses on quantitative survey data and thematic analysis on all qualitative data.
Whānau reported widespread experiences of injustice, including false allegations, illogical administrative decisions, unjustified child removals, and extreme powerlessness.
Participants highlighted systemic inadequacies and trauma associated with child protection investigations, noting that initial reports of concern frequently act as an unreliable metric for actual child abuse.

Cite This Study

Colhoun et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a817a72f2fb91fc834ae40f https://doi.org/10.1002/kot2.70050

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