B. Children and Young people 107. The government has set a target for the public service to halt the ten year rise in children experiencing physical abuse and reduce the total number to 3,000 by 2017. 108. While there has been some good progress, the level of family violence in New Zealand is unacceptably high. New Zealand has the fifth worst child abuse record of 31 OECD countries. 109. In 2014, there were 3178 reported cases of children being physically abused, 1294 of being sexually abused and 9,499 who suffered emotional abuse and neglect.81 This is a decrease of 12 % from 2013 where 3,181 children were reported as being physically abused, 1,423 were sexually abused and 11,386 suffered emotional abuse and neglect.82 110. The Committee may wish to consider including the following questions in its LOIPR for New Zealand:  What additional measures does the government intend to take to reduce the prevalence of violence and abuse against children – particularly those aimed at reducing family stressors?  What measures does the government intend to take to evaluate the impact of new policies on reducing the prevalence of violence and abuse against children? 111. Violence and bullying is endemic in New Zealand schools. Effects on victims can include living with anxiety and fear, lowered self-esteem, engagement in risk-taking behaviours such as substance abuse, self-harming, truanting and dropping-out from school, with associated long term adverse impacts. Victims may also suffer mental health issues including suicidal ideation, relationship difficulties and impeded emotional, behavioural and cognitive development.83 Disabled children and young people, and same-sex attracted, both sex-attracted, trans and intersex children and young people are disproportionately affected by violence in schools. 112. In 2013, the Government established a Bullying Prevention Advisory Group (“BPAG”) whose members included the Secretary for Education, the Children’s Commissioner, the Human Rights Commission and education sector professionals, to address the problem. The BPAG produced non-regulatory guidelines to assist schools develop and 81 http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1501/S00097/child-abuse-down-by-12-%-but-still-way-too-high.htm 82 Ibid. Office of the Children’s Commissioner (2009) School Safety: An Inquiry into the safety of students at school 83 28