Safe and Equal have launched a new suite of online training about pornography, young people and sexuality available through a dedicated resource hub on the It’s time we talked website.  

These resources have been developed as a part of the Addressing Pornography’s Influence Project (API) with funding from The Ian Potter Foundation and The Myer Foundation. The API project is a collaboration between Maree Crabbe (Director of It’s time we talked) and Safe and Equal. The project aims to broaden the reach and sustainability of Maree’s ground-breaking work through It’s time we talked – a violence prevention project addressing the influence of pornography on young people and how it shapes their understanding of gender, sex, sexuality and healthy relationships.  

The project has also included development of tailored video resources for Safe and Equal to use within trainings and communities of practices. The videos support us to assist prevention practitioners, particularly those working with young people, to understand how pornography contributes to young people’s sexual socialisation and reinforces the drivers of gender-based violence, and what they can do to respond. 

Read more and access training here

The SHSN has launched a set of Fact Sheets full of useful stats and facts covering each local government area in their region. 

The full set is also available on their website

Download one or all of the fact sheets here:



Specialist family services workers have complex and significant workloads to service demand and may experience stressors through their service delivery. We recognise and strongly support that workforce wellbeing is an organisational responsibility.

There are several initiatives currently underway that seek to support the specialist family violence services to promote and protect the health, safety and wellbeing of their staff.

Resources:

Family Safety Victoria published an online Family Violence Health, Safety and Wellbeing Guide with links to Safe and Equal’s Self-assessment Handbook and Tool

Both Safe and Equal’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing handbook and self-assessment tool is a benchmarking resource, that guides service providers through a self-audit activity in order to determine their start point and create an action plan for improvement across the whole organisation.

The Older, Not Alone campaign has been launched by COTA Victoria, Seniors Rights Victoria, and the Municipal Association of Victoria. This new website includes information, resources and support services for elder abuse.

Zoe Belle Gender Collective training helps organisations and individual practitioners provide accessible and inclusive services for trans and gender diverse (TGD) people and their families in Victoria.

Sessions range from three hours to a full day. At your request the training can be all ages or youth focused.

In an open learning environment, our highly skilled trainers cover a range of different topics, including:

As a TGD led and run organisation, all of our trainings and workshops are created and delivered by members of the TGD community.

Click here to find out more about available training

After almost 12 months of providing Cheltenham Entry Point services remotely due to the sale of their old office, Launch Housing is delighted to advise they have now re-opened at the new site located at 344-348 Charman Rd, Cheltenham.   

Launch Housing are now providing IAP services Monday to Friday via phone (9556 5777 9am – 4pm) and with a drop-in service (9.30am – 4pm).  In addition to their IAP service, the site will also accommodate a wide range of support services including Youth Support Services, Transitional Support, Private Rental Assistance Program, and Accommodation Options for Families. 

When the new Cheltenham office is fully operational, Launch Housing looks forward to inviting local service providers and traders, community partners, and local and state Government and DFFH to visit and be welcomed to the new space.

Stalkerware is often installed secretly on mobile phones by abusive spouses, ex-partners, and other close contacts to spy on their targets.

Over the course of the past three years, Avast researchers have discovered a diverse range of mobile applications intended for non-consensual stalking.  

Often installed secretly on mobile phones by so-called friends, jealous spouses, and ex-partners, stalkerware tracks the physical location of the victim, monitoring their phone calls, text messages, and sites they visit to undermine their online freedom and individual liberty. 

“National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) is deeply concerned about the significant increase in the use of stalkerware and the dangerous implications for survivors domestic and dating violence and sexual assault,” says Erica Olsen, Senior Director of Safety Net Project at NNEDV, our US partner. “Our Safety Net Project conducted an assessment of service providers documenting that the most common types of technology abuse – harassment, limiting access to tech, and surveillance – all increased during the pandemic.” 

And here’s the kicker: Across the globe, the risk of encountering stalkerware on a mobile device has increased by 239% globally over a three-year period. 

Read full article here

Australian welfare rights advocates have welcomed changes aimed at preventing family violence victim-survivors from being punished under Centrelink rules.

Under social security rules, people must declare to Centrelink whether they are single or in a relationship. Those deemed to be in a “couple” receive a lower rate of income support than singles.

But advocates have long warned that the rule has a perverse effect on victim-survivors of family and domestic violence.

Leanne Ho, the organisation’s chief executive, said the changes meant Centrelink officers would soon need to explicitly consider whether domestic violence was a factor when determining if a recipient was a member of a couple.

Read the full article here

Recent research indicates that families experiencing adolescent violence in the home (AVITH) often manage multiple complexities and have limited access to service support. Previous research, including the PIPA project, found that “one-size-fits-all” approaches can result in punitive responses towards children, highlighting the need for multidisciplinary interventions.

“WRAP around families experiencing AVITH” (the WRAP around project) has identified support needs of young people and their families who are experiencing AVITH amid a range of co-occurring needs. The research has developed a framework for holistic, evidence-based and collaborative practice.

Read full report here

Are you a family violence practitioner looking for effective ways to discuss tech abuse with clients from diverse backgrounds? Check out WESTNET’s conversation starters and safety planning resource, designed to help you support survivors of tech abuse. With question prompts, safety strategies, and helpful handout links, this resource is a must-have for any practitioner.

Download this poster in plain English and any one of 17 other languages

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