This glossary explains terms, phrases and words that might be used on this website.
On this page we explain some words and phrases that are from documents about institutions and processes written many years ago. Some of the language and terms are not acceptable today and are offensive and derogatory.
We have some suggestions on what help and support is available if you want someone to talk to, or other kinds of support you during your journey.
Citizens Advice Bureau NZ has engaged with survivors, people with lived experience and whānau who gave feedback on what sort of language and words we should use on the website.
We are continuing to seek feedback, if you have any feedback or questions about the language used on this website, please contact us.
You may notice that the language used on this website is inconsistent, we are currently working to improve the language and make our language consistent across the website.
Abuse that happened to people when they were in the care or guardianship of a government, faith-based or other organisation.
This includes neglect, physical, psychological, emotional, verbal and sexual abuseopen_in_new.
Examples could include:
being confined in a room or away from other people
being given medication against their will
torture or
cruel or degrading treatment.
Some forms of abuse meet the United Nations definition of 'tortureopen_in_new'.
An abbreviation of ‘The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions’.
The Royal Commission was established in 2018 to investigate what happened to children, young people and adults in State care and in the care of faith-based institutions in Aotearoa New Zealand between 1950 and 1999.
An individual or organisation responsible for managing the distribution of someone’s belongings (their estate) after they have died:
If the deceased left a will, the administrator is normally the executor of the will.
If the deceased did not leave a will, the administrator is normally their next of kin.
A legal process where a person or couple becomes the parent or parents of another person’s birth child. The child is legally treated as though they were naturally born to their adoptive parents.
Used in the past to refer to a psychiatric institution. Some psychiatric institutions had ‘Asylum’ in their name. This is the only context in which we have used the word on this website.
Written permission from an individual that allows another individual to act on their behalf. It is usually a form, and each organisation will have their own Authority to Act form.
For example, if you request an organisation’s records about a living whānau member, the organisation may ask for an Authority to Act form that your whānau member has completed.
An Enduring Power of Attorney document may also be accepted as proof of authority to act.
A programme aimed at youth offenders and modeled after military recruit training camps. It includes military-style discipline and training. Also called ‘military-style academy’, ‘corrective training’ and 'bush programme'.
An example of a past boot camp or bush programme is the Te Whakapakari Youth Programme which ran on Aotea Great Barrier Island between 1977 and 2004.
An institution for young people (aged 15 – 21) who:
Borstals ran in New Zealand from 1924 –1981.
An institution for male children. Also known as children’s home, social welfare home or children’s residential care.
An example of a Boys’ Home is Epuni Boys’ Home.
An example of a Girls’ Home is Kingslea Girls Homes.
Also see 'Care and protection residence’.
A camping or wilderness programme for young people with less serious offences. See 'boot camps'.
When Oranga Tamariki (or its predecessor organisations) gets involved in decisions about a child or young person because they consider:
An institutional care setting run by Oranga Tamariki (and Child, Youth and Family before them). They are similar to youth justice residences.
They are aimed at children aged 12-16, who Oranga Tamariki consider to be at serious risk of physical or mental harm from others, or towards themselves, and cannot be placed in the community.
However, young people might be placed in these residences if they are:
The length of time a young person spends in residence is largely unregulated and is often related more to a lack of community placement options than need.
Care records is often the term used by agencies and other organisations to refer to records they created, or personal information they gathered, when they were responsible for someone’s guardianship or care. They are sometimes called welfare files.
This wording carries a negative connotation, particularly within the survivor community, as 'care' was the opposite of what many people experienced.
So, we try to refer to ‘records’ instead of ‘care records’ on this website.
See 'Records' and 'Welfare files'.
The location that a government, faith-based or other organisation decides that someone in their guardianship or care should live. It includes their decisions on who the individual lives with and how they live.
This wording carries a negative connotation, particularly within the survivor community, as 'care' was the opposite of what many people experienced. So we try to avoid using the term ‘care setting’ on this website.
Historically referred to as a place for boys and girls, these homes have housed young people of diverse gender identities. Also known as a social welfare home or children’s residential care.
Also see 'Boys’ Home' and 'Girls’ Home'.
A person can make a claim to seek compensation or other redress, because they were harmed by abuse or neglect when they were in the care of a government, faith-based or other organisation.
A payment of money an individual or organisation (government, faith-based or other) makes because of harm caused, or to settle a claim related to that harm.
Also see 'Ex-gratia payment'.
The organisation that makes decisions about who can access restricted records in the Archives NZ collection.
Records about individuals who have spent time in the guardianship or care of others are usually considered restricted records.
For example, the controlling organisation for most restricted records relating to institutions responsible for children and young people, is usually Oranga Tamariki.
See 'Boot camps'.
An abbreviation of ‘Crown Response to the Abuse in Care Inquiry’. The Crown Response Office leads the work to coordinate the Government’s response to the Royal Commission. This includes working with Citizens Advice Bureau to develop this Kōnae website.
The Crown Response Office was previously the Crown Response Unit.
Deaf people are a distinct group within a country and their first language is sign language – in Aotearoa New Zealand, it’s New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). Learn more on Deaf Aotearoa’s websiteopen_in_new.
An older term once used to describe they behaviour of a child or young person, that is illegal or not acceptable to the dominant culture of the time.
Permanent disposal of records so that the information can no longer be physically or electronically accessed. For example, paper records can be shredded; electronic records can be deleted from network drives and the recycling bin emptied.
A group of churches supervised by a bishop. For example, in New Zealand both the Catholic Church and the Anglican church have dioceses.
Having a long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which, in interaction with various barriers in society, may hinder your full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
Records can be disposed of by:
Under the Public Records Act 2005, the Chief Archivist approves the rules around when and how different kinds of public records (records created by central or local government) can be disposed of. The rules are called disposal authorities.
See 'Records retention'.
A legal document giving someone else the power to make decisions on a person's behalf, which takes effect if they lose legal capacity (the ability to understand the nature and consequences of decisions, and/or the ability to communicate these decisions).
The decision about whether a person is mentally incapable is made by a court or by a qualified health provider. An individual is assumed to be mentally capable unless it is proved otherwise.
There are two types of Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA): EPA for personal care and welfare; and EPA for property.
A payment that an individual or organisation voluntarily makes without accepting any blame or legal requirement to pay.
Also see 'Compensation payment'.
An individual or organisation responsible for managing the distribution of the will maker's belongings (their estate) after the will maker's death, according to the instructions in the will.
Also see 'Administrator (of an estate)'.
An institution run or controlled by a faith-based organisation. An organisation can be faith-based if its purpose or activity is connected to a religious or spiritual belief system.
A house run by adult voluntary caregivers who live in the home. The caregivers are not paid but receive an allowance to cover the costs of providing care.
Family Homes are intended to be a short-term placement of children and young people (for example, if they are under a care and protection order) while more suitable longer term care options are arranged.
Foster care is an older term used to describe someone in the care or custody of the state. In contemporary times, the normal term used is being ‘in care’, or ‘in the care or custody’.
The child is placed in the private home of an individual, couple or family.
The caregivers were called the child’s foster parents – they received an allowance to cover the costs of providing care.
The private home would have been called the child’s foster home.
An institution for girls. Also known as children’s home, social welfare home or children’s residential care.
Also see 'Boys’ Home' and ‘Children’s Home'.
Health camps were set up in New Zealand to help children who were deemed undernourished.
Eventually, children were referred to the camps through the Public Health Nurses system for other reasons.
Learn more about health camps.
A school associated with a neighbouring health camp, to provide education for the children staying at the camp. Health camp schools were built and staffed by the Ministry of Education.
See ‘Health camp’.
A way to seek compensation or other redress, for abuse or neglect in the past, when the claimant spent time in the guardianship or care of a government, faith-based or other organisation.
Survivors of abuse in care have made historic abuse claims for what happened to them, as far back as the 1950’s.
See 'Abuse in care' and 'abuse claim'.
The term ‘in care’ is often used by agencies and organisations to describe situations where they are legally responsible for someone's care and protection, and the decisions made about their guardianship, custody, and living arrangements.
The Royal Commission found that instead of receiving care and support from agencies and other organisations, some children, young people, and adults ‘in care’ suffered physical, emotional, mental, or sexual abuse, along with exploitation and neglect.
This wording carries a negative connotation within the survivor community, as 'care' was the opposite of what many people experienced.
As one survivor said: "The word 'care' is upsetting because it’s the opposite of what we experienced."
That is why, on this website, we have tried to avoid normalising the word 'care' when talking about these institutions and placements. Instead, we talk about 'places people spent time in' - for example, Children’s Homes, hospitals, schools, borstals, Youth Justice residences, or time with foster families, adoptive families, whānau, or kin.
Also see 'Foster care' and 'Whānau care'.
When the Ministry of Social Development assesses a person's claim of abuse or neglect in care, based on information about what happened while the person was under their notice or their care.
A survivor can choose to accept a Rapid Payment offer instead, for a quicker resolution.
See 'Rapid Payment'.
A residential school for children set up by the government. Industrial schools were set up after the 1850s.
Children might end up in an industrial school because they were born outside marriage, had lost one or both parents or whose parents were seen as unable to look after them.
Parents could bring children to the courts to be sent to an industrial school, but often they had no say in the matter.
A place where people were in the guardianship or care of others, under the responsibility of a government, faith-based or other organisation. It includes agencies that were responsible for placing people in foster care or adoptions.
Examples include:
We sometimes use this term where appropriate but try to avoid it where possible.
An historic type of institution for children (under 15 years) whose behaviour was illegal or not acceptable to the dominant culture of the time.
The first reformatories were opened in 1900.
Government a ssistance with the costs of legal help (advice or representation), for those who are eligible. Legal aid is considered a loan, and costs may have to be repaid in part or in full depending on a person’s circumstances.
More information about legal aidopen_in_new is on the Ministry of Justice website.
Legal responsibility for something.
Specialist listening services for survivors of abuse in care include the Survivor Experiences Service (SES). SES is a support service for survivors of abuse in care, who can also help survivors get their records.
An abbreviation of the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992. The Act covers compulsory psychiatric assessment and treatment for people experiencing a mental illness (sometimes called being 'sectioned'), and their rights.
Also see 'Sectioned'.
In Australia, missions were areas that Aboriginal people were placed in after being forcibly and wrongly removed from their traditional lands. They were usually under the control of churches and missionaries.
When someone or something has not been cared for (for example, by not providing food, clothing, shelter, medical treatment).
Official information is information about what a Minister or central government agency has done, communicated about, or decided.
The Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) is a law giving every New Zealander the right to request official information.
Learn more on the Office of the Ombudsmanopen_in_new website.
A child with no living parents.
An institution for child orphans, although some children who lived there had one or both living parents. Also known as orphanages, Boys’ Homes, Girls’ Homes and Children’s Homes.
Before 1967, people who received a periodic detention (PD) sentence had to live at a periodic detention centre from Friday evening to Sunday morning and return a few hours once per week.
Periodic detention sentences were given to young offenders aged 15 – 20 years. They had to take part in training and community service.
After 1967, periodic detention included adults (aged 21 years or over) and could be non-residential.
Periodic detention was abolished in 2002 and replaced by community service and community detention.
Any information that is about an individual or that could identify them.
Examples of personal information include an individual's:
It could also be a picture of an individual's face or their opinions on social media.
Things that can contain personal information include:
A form of Rapid Payment.
If someone makes a claim of abuse in care to the Ministry of Education, they can choose the Prioritised Payment option if they are terminally ill and not expected to survive longer than 12 months.
This is a quicker resolution than waiting for the Ministry of Education to assess an 'individualised' claim.
The Privacy Act 2020 governs how organisations and businesses can collect, store, use and share people's information.
An official document that someone can use to prove theirr identity, for example, driver licence, passport, firearms licence. What forms of proof of ID are accepted depends on the organisation asking for it.
When someone makes a records request with Oranga Tamariki (OT), for proof of ID Oranga Tamariki may also ask questions based on information in the records that only the person the records are about would know the answer to.
A place where people with mental health issues sometimes lived and were treated (also known as 'psychiatric hospital' and 'mental hospital').
See also ‘Asylum’ and ‘Psychopaedic institution’.
A term used to describe people with a learning disability, coined in the early 1960’s by New Zealand’s then Director of Mental Health. An example of a psychopaedic institution is the Kimberley Centre.
The Public Records Act 2005 establishes a regulatory framework for information and records management across the public sector (for example, government agencies, local councils).
It covers things like record keeping, record preservation and access to records by the public.
Payments available to survivors of abuse in care who want a quick resolution.
Rapid Payments are offered by the following claims agencies:
Ministry of Social Development
On this website, we use ‘records’ specifically to refer to records created about someone’s time in the guardianship or care of a state, faith-based or other organisation. Also known as your ‘file’, ‘welfare file’ or ‘care records’.
An organisation that holds records about people who are or have been in the guardianship or care of others.
The record holder could be:
An organisation’s policy about how long to keep records and what needs to happen to them when they are no longer of use to the organisation.
Removing or hiding information before giving someone access to it – for example, by covering it with a black stripe.
Learn more about redaction.
Making right what has been done wrong.
Key recommendations from the Abuse in Care Royal Commission to provide redress to survivors of abuse in care include:
This website is a direct result of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission’s recommendations.
See 'Industrial school'.
A specialist school that provides boarding facilities to its students, also known as specialist residential schoolsopen_in_new.
Residential specialist schools can be for children and young people who are Deaf, hard of hearing, blind, have low vision, have behaviour needs, or have educational, social and emotional needs.
Records in the Archives New Zealand collection, that you can only access with permission from the controlling organisation.
See 'Controlling organisation'.
Compulsory assessment (and potentially treatment) of a person's mental health issues under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 (Mental Health Act).
A sensitive claim can be a claim of:
abuse in a New Zealand state or state-integrated school, for which the claimant is seeking support and/or compensation from the Ministry of Education
sexual abuse or sexual assault, for which the claimant is seeking support and/or compensation from ACC.
Specialised learning support for students with learning support needs.
When a child can spend time with a parent or other person only in a controlled setting, overseen by someone approved by the Family Court (a contact supervisor). The contact supervisor can be a whānau member, a friend or a professional supervisor.
The Family Court might order supervised contact because:
A protection order is a court order that is meant to help keep a person and any children under 18 years who live with carer or them, safe from violence and abuse, by a person in close contact with (such as a partner, ex-partner, family member, carer or flatmate.
Also known as Ngā Mōrehu, people who have survived abuse or neglect while in the care of a government, faith-based or other organisation.
A non-government organisation (NGO) that has a contract with a government agency to provide services. For example, faith-based organisations were often funded by the government to run Children's Homes.
A redress package specifically for survivors of abuse at the Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit.
The package provides two payment options:
Find out more about this redress package.open_in_new
A term used by Oranga Tamariki and its predecessors to describe information kept about families they are involved in. Also called welfare case files. See ‘Care records’ and ‘Records’.
When someone is in the care, custody or guardianship of the state and is living with caregivers from their own family or whānau.
The Māori tradition of children being raised by someone other than their birth parents - possibly whānau, extended family or someone else with some previous connection to the child. It can be temporary or permanent. The child (tamaiti whāngai) may know who their birth parents are.
Some whāngai arrangements happen through the involvement of Oranga Tamariki, as an alternative to foster care with non-Māori foster parents. See 'Whanau care'.
Learn more about whāngai.
Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
For example, when you request your records from an organisation under the Privacy Act or the Official Information Act, they must respond within 20 working days (about four weeks).
How the government manages children (aged 10 to 13 years) and youth (aged 14 to 17 years) who have, or are alleged to have, committed an offence. This is different from how adults in the criminal justice system are managed.
Children and youth in the youth justice system might:
A detention facility for young people. There are five Youth Justice residences in Aotearoa New Zealand.
A young person might be in a Youth Justice residence because they have been:
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