KEY POINTS:
The three words "It's not OK" may be starting to change New Zealand's traditional "blokes" culture, anti-violence agencies say.
Auckland agency Preventing Violence in the Home says calls to its national helpline jumped threefold last year and far more men are coming for help voluntarily, rather than being sent by the courts.
The agency is now running four groups of 18 men each, up from three groups of 12 men each a yearago.
Director Jane Drumm said one man reported a fight at a bowling club which broke up in laughter when the barman walked over and said, "Listen guys, this is not OK."
Ministry of Social Development deputy chief executive Richard Wood said that when the giant started hitting someone in a Christmas performance of Jack and the Beanstalk in Wellington, people in the crowd shouted, "It's not OK."
"By the third time, the entire audience called out, 'It's not OK.' "
He said counselling agencies such as Relationship Services were also reporting men saying, "I'm only here because I saw that ad on TV."
The "It's not OK" advertisements, which started on television last September, are part of a four-year, $14 million Government effort to make family violence as unacceptable socially as smoking or drink-driving.
Ms Drumm said the campaign had been "a wonderful breakthrough".
"It gives people language that is not threatening, that is not confron-tational really, but where everyone knows the meaning behind it."
After working against violence for 25 years, she felt that New Zealand was finally "on the cusp of change".
The agency wants everyone to help raise money for its national violence helpline by organising "morning teas" at workplaces and in the community.
Mr Wood said the Government had agreed to fully fund actual services to reduce violence over the next four years, but would only part-fund "information and advice" such as the helpline.
Preventing Violence in the Home aims to raise $400,000 from the morning teas between June 9 and June 20.
* www.nzsbiggestmorningtea.org.nz
* www.preventingviolence.org.nz
* Helpline: 0508 DV HELP (0508 384 357)
