Stop The Bus tour stops in Tokoroa

Spending a year in a converted school bus with their four energetic boys is a sacrifice worth making for Chris and Erinna Lane.

The Te Awamutu filmmakers began their year-long Stop the Bus journey earlier this year, which involves travelling around New Zealand filming a child abuse prevention documentary.

Along the way they talk to various groups, community spokespeople, and everyday people to highlight ways to prevent child abuse and make stronger communities.

Part of their plan is to capture a visual representation of a national stand against child abuse where New Zealanders throughout the country link arms.

The family stopped in Tokoroa for three days recently visiting the likes of the Raukawa Charitable Trust, South Waikato YMCA, and the Salvation Army.

While in town dozens of locals also gathered along Bridge St linking arms to show their support.

Erinna said they were

"We are trying to create a documentary that holds the attention of people in a different way while still keeping the commentary alive around child abuse."chris Lane

motivated to embark on the journey by the lack of tangible change and the rhetoric surrounding New Zealand’s alarming rate of child abuse.

‘‘Our frustration first of all is over the amount of ignorance on the topic,’’ she said.

‘‘As a society we believe it only exists in certain parts and we usually only focus on physical abuse but it is more than that and includes all forms of abuse.’’

‘‘We are a Pakeha family but there is this impression and blaming on other groups of people rather than taking ownership and doing what we can.’’

Chris said the journey was a positive way of getting people to think about child abuse and what they could do to combat it.

‘‘It seems like not a lot has changed from year to year,’’ he said.

‘‘I think a lot of that is due to the discussion around it. It is an ugly thing to talk about and imagine which people don’t want to do so we are trying to create a documentary that holds the attention of people in a different way while still keeping the commentary alive around child abuse.’’

The family will return to the Waikato in July 2018 to edit the footage into a 90-minute documentary.