Recent cases in Nelson’s Youth Court have been dominated by family violence committed by young people against family members – often brought about by disputes over devices. Addiction to electronic devices appears to be fuelling an increase in serious violence caused by young people within the family home. Now we’re seeing a completely different shift.”He said while there had been a decrease in youth offending overall, similar to national and international trends, the proportion of serious offending had increased. However, family violence, whether physical, sexual or psychological abuse, was a reality for thousands of families in New Zealand and remained a widespread problem in the community. Bailey said it was important for people dealing with family violence to trust their instincts and get in touch with police if they did not feel safe.

Source: Stuff November 21, 2020 15:56 UTC