Trauma and Dissociation in Aotearoa (New Zealand)

S. F. Farrelly · Thomas Rudegeair

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Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments Memory, History, Trauma, Identity

Abstract

Aotearoa, or the more widely used term, New Zealand (NZ), is a sparsely populated country of four million with a land area roughly the size of California. It is far from the world's centres of power, both geographically and ideologically. Colonisation by the British in the nineteenth century occurred relatively recently and relatively smoothly. The country's indigenous people, the Maori, endured the ordeal of colonisation but today comprise 14.7% of the population (Ministry of Social Development, 2003). Maori, however, are over-represented in prisons and in mental health facilities. Suicide rates, especially among Maori youth, are higher than for non-Maori, as are rates of substance abuse. Health statistics generally are poorer among Maori, including lower life expectancies (Durie, 2001; Ministry of Social Development, 2003; Ministry of Youth Development, 2001). There are, of course, modern-day traumas of all sorts throughout New Zealand society but Maori children are more at risk of illness, intentional injury and sexual abuse (Ministry of Health, 1998). We contend that this social picture is a reflection of the trauma of colonisation transmitted, as trauma often is, through generations. The fundamental trauma to Maori has been cultural and, although remedies have been actively pursued, much remains to be done. Along with the indigenous people, we suggest that the broad NZ society suffers the systemic effects of trauma, many of which are dissociative in nature. Our society's challenge is first to acknowledge the prevalence of trauma-induced dissociation and then to design corrective approaches to reduce the suffering of trauma survivors and to improve the efficiency of our own institutions.

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2002Role of Genotype in the Cycle of Violence in Maltreated Children 1996The long-term impact of the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of children: A community study 2003The Penguin history of New Zealand 1990Ka whawhai tonu matou =: Struggle without end 1996Childhood Sexual Abuse and Psychiatric Disorder in Young Adulthood: II. Psychiatric Outcomes of Childhood Sexual Abuse 1993Childhood Sexual Abuse and Mental Health in Adult Life 2000Risk Factors for Suicide and Attempted Suicide among Young People 1996Childhood Sexual Abuse and Psychiatric Disorder in Young Adulthood: I. Prevalence of Sexual Abuse and Factors Associated with Sexual Abuse

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