Early intervention is one of six key priorities outlined in the latest three-year national action plan to reduce domestic and family violence.
This includes acting early to address and prevent the attitudes and practices that excuse, justify and promote violence against women and children.
The National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010–2022 brings together governments, key organisations, the community sector and individuals to drive lasting change.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull launched the plan at the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) National Summit on Reducing Violence Against Women in Brisbane on Friday.
The two-day summit aimed to review progress and profile best practice in our collective efforts to make Australia safer for women and their children.
Louise Place Manager Vicki Lachlan attended the event at the invitation of Premier Jay Weatherill.
The National Plan takes an integrated approach to prevent and respond to domestic, family and sexual violence, and identifies outcomes to work towards. They are:
1. Preventing and intervening early to address the attitudes and practices that excuse, justify and promote violence against women and children.
2. Improving responses and supports for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their children through partnership approaches.
3. Providing greater support and choice for women and children leaving or trying to leave family and domestic violence.
4. Sharpen the focus on sexual violence as a key component for women’s safety.
5. Responding to children living with violence to help them feel safe at home and to recover from their experience.
6. Holding perpetrators accountable across all systems, and targeting responses that work to change their behaviour.
Centacare’s partnership with Port Adelaide Football Club is an example of how early intervention can support positive change.
Through the Power to End Violence Against Women program, we are shaping stronger values in young boys, and educating them to make informed choices to prevent abusive behaviour.
By year’s end, more than 20 schools and 1500 boys in Year 10 will have participated in the program and learnt about respect, trust, gender equality, and healthy relationships.
