Instead, there is an increasing demand for the work they do supporting children and parents affected by family violence.
An estimated 80% of the 200 families Barnardos dealt with in Dunedin were affected by current or historical family violence, Ms Shannon, Barnardos Child and Family Services Otago service manager said.
"You don't have to go away to war to experience war conditions. It's right here in your neighbourhood."
Mrs Bain, a counsellor and co-ordinator of the children's domestic violence programme, spends her days dealing with children who are "traumatised, afraid, angry, confused and timid".
The abusive behaviours they have witnessed range from being yelled and screamed at to having an adult trying to murder them.
"And everything in between - broken bones, pets being hurt or shot, being locked in cupboards, furniture being thrown out, being chased with knives ... " she said.
The work was tough but also rewarding, Mrs Bain explained.
"By the end of the nine-week programme we see children blossoming. They're skipping in, a lot happier. They're smiling. They've made some sense of the crazy stuff and they feel a lot safer. We see really significant changes."
The number of families referred to various Barnardos' programmes was increasing, something the women put down to a greater acknowledgement that family violence was not all right, and greater pressures on families because of the economic recession.
Barnardos is one of about 30 Dunedin agencies ranging from government departments and the police to welfare and education groups which belong to the Dunedin Collaboration Against Family Violence established about seven years ago.
Mrs Bain said the multi-agency approach was a "very good idea".
"Before that I was working with children really in isolation. Now there is a place where everyone is doing that sort of work in one form or another ... We can support each other and we know who to talk to because we know each other now."
Speaking out to support today's White Ribbon Day, a global campaign committed to eliminating violence against women and children, Ms Shannon and Mrs Bain said it was up to every adult in the community to take responsibility for the welfare of children.
"The message we would want to get out is that every adult should look out for children, whether they are a family member, a neighbour, a social service agency, [or] a school teacher," Mrs Bain said.
Dunedin frontline police now have service cards to hand out at family violence incidents. The size of a business card, they provide general information about family violence, advise offenders and victims where to go for help, and list local phone numbers of support services and anti-violence counselling programmes.
Brutal statistics
Nationally
• Nearly half of all homicides and half of all violent crime is family violence.
About 10 children are killed every year by a family member.
Police are called to about 200 family violence situations daily.
In Dunedin
• Police recorded 1656 family violence incidents last year.
Of those incidents, 1343 children aged 0-16 were either present when the violence took place or usually residing with the victim.
