More than 150 cardboard children will be used to create awareness of child abuse in Tauranga in the city's inaugural Buddy Day this week.

On Friday, 162 ‘buddies' will be adopted for the day by individuals and businesses across Tauranga and paraded through the city in the hopes of capturing attention and raising discussion.

Child Matters CEO Anthea Simcock with buddies ready for Friday's Buddy Day.

Buddy Day was first held in Hamilton in 2011, and this year spreads to Tauranga, Auckland and Wellington – with 1074 buddies being adopted across the four cities.

The number of buddies per city represents 20 per cent of the child abuse cases reported in that area last year.

Tauranga will this year adopt out 162 buddies, representing the 813 cases in 2012. It is the lowest number of the four cities.

On Friday morning individuals and business representatives will collect their buddies at a breakfast event at Trinity Wharf Hotel.

The breakfast, hosted by past All Black Bull Allan who is also adopting a buddy, will include presentations from Child Matters on child abuse statistics and research throughout the country.

The adopters will then keep their cardboard buddy with them for the entire day, with the idea that they will create discussion with the public and provide opportunities to raise awareness of child abuse in the region.

The buddies were created by school children who designed them from blank, life-sezed cardboard cut-outs from October 28-November 10.

Each Buddy is given its own name and life story that is written by the children who decorate them.

Child Youth and Family research shows child abuse directly affects about one quarter of New Zealand's population, with approximately $1million people currently suffering or living with the long-term effects of past abuse.

CYFs figures show more than 21,000 confirmed cases of child abuse last year; approximately 60 per day.

These figures are considered to be only the tip of the iceberg.

Child advocacy organisation Child Matters' CEO Anthea Simcock says child abuse has been described as New Zealand's single most important public health challenge, costing the country about $2billion annually in health, prison and other related costs.

'New Zealand has one of the highest rates of death by child abuse out of 31 OECD countries. And for every child death in our community, there are thousands more children being neglected and abused physically, sexually and emotionally.”

Child Matters runs Buddy Day - New Zealand's only public event which brings awareness to the issue of child abuse into the wider community and the role every adult has in keeping children safe.

Buddy statistics for Buddy Day 2013:

Waikato =1,683 (20% = 336 Buddies)

Tauranga = 813 (20% = 162 Buddies)

Central Auckland = 1,681 (20% = 336 Buddies)

Wellington = 1,238 (20% = 240 Buddies)