A Week Without Violence: Why children and young people need to be at the centre of the conversation about family violence
In Victoria, police attend a family violence incident every six minutes, on average.
Six minutes is roughly the amount of time it takes to make a cup of tea; to walk around 500 metres; to scan a magazine.
And, in these six minutes, for almost every incident, there are multiple victims of family violence.
Because it is not just the adult partner of the perpetrator who is the victim, but also the child hiding in their bedroom; the teenager trying to protect one of their parents; the toddler crying in the corner.
Too often, children and young people are considered to be witnesses to family violence, as opposed to victims – and victim survivors – in their own right.
Negating or reducing a child’s experience in this way can be highly damaging to their ability to recover from their trauma, and can have long-term impacts on their lives.
Berry Street provides services to children, young people and families impacted by abuse, violence and neglect across Victoria. Sadly, we see the impact of family violence in every aspect of our work.
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As a community, we need to think about family violence in the context of children and young people, and the importance of listening, believing and connecting them with safe spaces to recover from the violence they’ve experienced.
It is not as simple as removing a child from their violent home, but also supporting them to re-build trust and attachment with adults. Early intervention and targeted therapeutic programs are key to this.
The nature of family violence takes so much physical and psychological safety away from young people, which is why it is critical we give them back a sense of agency.
Indeed, too often, decisions are made about and on behalf of children and young people without consultation, making them feel powerless — which can parallel their experiences of family violence. This includes, for example, being forced through custody arrangements to spend time with the abusive parent.
Children and young people need to be at the centre of the conversation about family violence.
Because without recognising children and young people as victims of family violence in their own right, and not just mere onlookers, we risk further harm, jeopardising their recovery, and continuing the cycle of trauma and abuse.
A Week Without Violence is an annual campaign to raise awareness about family violence and end violence against women – 17 to 23 October 2022.
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3 天å‰Michael, thanks for sharing!
Choreographer and Dance teacher to children
2 å¹´If only you was Here in America to help me and my boys. They are so hurt still. I got us away <dv.>2yrs ago and the therapy just was started &going to take time? The surreal and unfathomable issue is when the dept of children and families came to check us3 bc of course like every narcissistic pig they pla ce revenge on anyone . He had us in a shelter the boys were just only 2 and 3. WELL the others knew of his abuse on me and heard and seen him with the way he treated me . An altercation happened then the shelter kicked him out. He was livid and was so upset at me. Even tho it was his actions that caused him to be kicked out . He retaliated and called the dept of children and families on me 4xs in a month. Fine. please go right ahead. I don't do wrong and I am a great mother. I have nothing to hide. I was hoping that these state appointed officials would help us three get into a program and such. I had pic that the oldest created that was dark .sad. with deep ...fast movements and literally he said to me prior. This is the monster that hurts mommy and makes her cry .then we run and hide jn the closet. We wait then he leaves and we go to mommy. You can totally see this captured from his child like imagination. Plain as day.
Head of Policy, Advocacy & Government Relations at Melbourne City Mission / Board Member / Victorian Honour Roll of Women 2022
2 å¹´Well said, Michael. How can we eliminate family violence by overlooking the next generation?