The former director of the Glenn Inquiry says Maori are especially disadvantaged by the current piecemeal approach to dealing with domestic or child abuse.
Ruth Herbert quit last year and has co-authored a report calling for an integrated response to violence in the home.
The study titled The Way Forward says there is a poor understanding of the needs of Maori when they try to access services or agencies seeking help.
Ms Herbert said Maori agencies and networks are often trying to deal with the issue in isolation and an integrated system would resolve that.
She believed it was critical for Maori seeking help that the kaupapa Maori agencies are linked into mainstream services and there needs to be a seamless transition between both services.