New
Website for Young People Experiencing Family
Violence
BURSTING
THE BUBBLE
is DVIRC's new website developed specifically for YOUNG PEOPLE experiencing
family violence. It uses quizzes, stories and other interactive devices
to help young people recognise abuse or domestic violence and work out
what they can do to protect themselves and get help.
A colourful 16-page pocket-sized booklet based on the website has also been developed and will be particularly valuable for young people unable to access the Internet.
To
order copies from DVIRC click
here.
FREE
PROMOTIONAL POSTERS
available
on request.
GO
TO www.burstingthebubble.com
New
Website for Women Leaving Relationship Violence
WOMEN'S
SAFETY AFTER SEPARATION
is
a website recently launched in coordination with the National Abuse
Free Contact Campaign. It
provides info to Australian women separating from
violent or abusive partners, to assist them to achieve safety for themselves
and their children. The website includes emergency contacts, practical
strategies for escaping
violence, info on how to access and negotiate the family and criminal
law systems, and tips for survival, recovery and contributing to positive
social change. It also offers links to relevant research and resources.
GO TO http://wsas.here.ws.
Health
Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence: New Resarch
Compelling
new evidence of the serious impact of domestic violence on women's health
emerged last month, with the release of a study by VicHealth. The
Health Costs of Violence found that domestic violence has
wide-ranging and persistent effects on women's physical and mental health.
It
contributes a staggering 9% to the total disease burden in Victorian women
aged 15-44 and is the leading contributor to death, disability and illness
in Victoria for women of this age. This exceeds the impact of other well-known
risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking and obesity. Violence
was also found to have serious immediate and long-term impacts on the
physical and mental health of children who live with this form of violence.
The study estimates the costs of violence against Victorian women to be at least $500 million each year, and its findings offer unprecedented evidence of the prevalence and harm of domestic violence and the need for governments, communities and service providers to increase their efforts to address this problem. The findings also suggest that a much greater emphasis on primary prevention is warranted.
For more info, read the report. Also check out Senator Stott Despoja's speech to Parliament on the report's release. She questions the Commonwealth government's commitment to this issue in view of the recent federal budget and the national campaign against relationship violence. To learn more about how general practitioners can recognise and respond to domestic violence check out DVIRC's info kit for GPs.
Reforming
Family
Violence
Laws in Victoria
The
Victorian Law Reform Commission (VLRC) will this month release a discussion
paper outlining key issues of concern and options for reforming the Crimes
(Family Violence) Act
(CFVA). The CFVA is the principle piece of legislation used in Victoria
to protect people from family violence by enabling abused family members
to obtain a court order restraining the abusive family member in some
way. Since the Act came into existence in 1987, it has been changed several
times, but this is the first comprehensive review of the legislation which
will determine whether it provides the best possible legal response to
family violence in Victoria. To learn more about the review, visit
the VLRC's
website
or read its recent Update
Newsletter
on the progress of the review.
One
of the issues that the review will investigate is what type of restrictions
and conditions should be placed on abusive family members and whether
Magistrates are currently imposing the most appropriate conditions when
making orders. Restricting the abusive family member from the home is
an important option currently available in legislation that could help
prevent the homelessness that women and children commonly experience when
they try to escape violence. This option is poorly utilised at present
for a number of reasons. DVIRC has written a discussion paper on the issue.
The paper explores the barriers to 'exclusion orders' and possible options
for reforming law and policy.
Prepare yourself to contribute to the VLRC review by reading Family Violence and Homelessness: Removing the Perpetrator from the Home. Read a summary or order a copy today.
Poor
Access to Justice for Victims of Family Violence
Women
involved in family law matters where domestic violence or child abuse
has been alleged are particularly disadvantaged in gaining access to legal
assistance, the Report
of the Senate Inquiry into Legal Aid and Access to Justice has
found. The Report recommends that the Commonwealth government should urgently
increase the level of funding available for family law matters; and that
legal representation should be made available to all family law disputes
involving domestic violence or child abuse.
Communicate your support for this by emailing your local member of parliament. Read about the impact of Legal Aid cuts on victims of family violence in DVIRC's submission to the inquiry prepared in conjunction with other women's services. Also check out Jenni Millbank's compelling article on the experience of one woman who was unrepresented in the Family Court.
New
Resources from DVIRC to
Combat
Violence Against Women with Disabilities
NEW
TRAINING FOR PRACTITIONERS
Domestic Violence and Disability
is an exciting series of workshops being held this month in the Northern
Metropolitan Region of Melbourne for workers in the disability and domestic
violence fields. The workshops aim to raise awareness of the issues
survivors with a disability face, and to explore ways in which the two
fields can work more collaboratively to meet the needs of these service
users.The first workshop is for practitioners in the domestic
violence field, Wednesday 14th July from 9.30am-4.30pm. The second
workshop is for practitioners in the disability field, Thursday
15th July from 9.30am-4.30pm.