A new national blueprint to end shocking acts of violence against women and children

Recovery of domestic violence will be at the forefront of a national blueprint to end shocking acts of violence and will shine a spotlight on sexual violence, as reported incidents soar.

The recovery of domestic violence survivors will be at the forefront of a new national blueprint to end shocking acts of violence against women and children.

The draft plan for the next decade, released on Friday, will also shine a spotlight on sexual violence, as the number of reported incidents soar.

“Sadly, the rates of family, domestic and sexual violence remain persistently high,” Women’s Safety Minister Anne Ruston said.

“It is a national shame and we must focus on driving down the level of violence toward zero.”

Australia’s first national action plan, launched in 2010, helped change people’s perceptions as family, domestic and sexual violence to the nation’s attention.

But the new road map has a specific focus on recovery efforts to help break the cycle of violence.

This includes steps to ensure victims are not re-traumatised when they try to access services, and training for health practitioners about the mental health impacts of abuse and the support available.

Victim of domestic violence pictured at a refuge. Picture: David Swift

Senator Ruston said the government would invest $1m to continue talks with victim-survivors over the decade to work toward zero violence.

“The voices and experiences of victim-survivors are essential to delivering trauma-informed services and solutions,” she said.

“To succeed we must listen, engage and be informed by diverse lived experiences … we must get this right.”

The plan features four pillars: prevention, intervention, response and recovery. These are also underpinned by several principles including gender equality and Closing the Gap.

It also highlights that new and innovative ways of working with men and boys, who use violence, are needed.

And that all women, children and LGBTIQA+ people of all genders and diverse backgrounds should be able to “live free from fear and violence”.

Targets include significantly reducing the number of homicides and the proportion of adults who experience violence, and increasing the number of victims seeking support and reporting sexual assault to police.

“We now understand there must be a stronger focus on sexual violence, children as victims in their own right, perpetrator interventions as well as the prevalence of coercive control and technology-facilitated abuse,” Senator Ruston said.

The 2022-32 blueprint will include two five-year action plans, and two five-year action plans for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

It also aims to establish national definitions for the different forms of violence.

Funding for the plans is expected to be announced before the election. Consultation about the draft is open until January 31.

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault or family violence, call 1800 RESPECT

Originally published as A new national blueprint to end shocking acts of violence against women and children