Barwon South West – Integrating Family Violence

 

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The Integrated Family Violence (IFV) plan started in 2006.  It aims to improve and develop services to people experiencing family violence, in all communities in the region.  These plans are linked to the Regional Indigenous FV Action Plan.

 

 

 

Barwon South West Integrated Family Violence Forum

Do you work with family violence in any way in your work?....................FREE EVENT

Are you a child protection worker, family service provider, youth service, family violence worker, drugs and alcohol service, Aboriginal community worker, health worker, housing worker, Centrelink worker…………

Holding Men Accountable for Family Violence

 

Family violence is a gendered issue – this forum will focus on holding men who use violence accountable for their behavior, in order to improve the safety of women and children.

Often women are left to manage violent men’s behavior and the consequences of it on their children, because services and legal systems avoid directly intervening with these men, claim Featherstone & Peckover (2007)

 

Holding perpetrators accountable for their violence is a fundamental cornerstone of the government and community’s effort to rid Victoria of family violence…….Family violence will not stop until perpetrators stop being violent and take responsibility for their violence.

 

How Can I do this as a practitioner?

 

 

Wednesday 10th March, 2010

11.00am – 3.00pm

Camperdown Golf Club, Fenton Street, Camperdown

Presenters:

Deb Bryant – CEO, Women’s Domestic Violence Service Victoria

The Womens Domestic Violence Crisis Service (WDVCS) provides state-wide telephone crisis information, support and advocacy to women experiencing  family/domestic violence, their family and friends.  The service also facilitates direct access to women’s refuges; specialist supported emergency accommodation services; unsupported accommodation (usually motels) and regional specialist family violence services.

 

Michael Bell is Health Services Manager at  Winda-Mara Aboriginal Co-operative

Michael will present on the Winda-Mara ‘Men’s Engaging Program’.

 

David Field – Manager, Men’s Referral Service (MRS)

MRS assists men to take action to stop their violent and controlling behaviour towards their family members. It has over 50 male volunteers to provide an anonymous and confidential telephone counselling, information and referral service for men throughout Victoria. David will talk about working with men who use violence in the family, accountability, responsibility and equality in relationships.

RSVP

Space is limited – so please email Annie Ferrari on aferrari@comconnect.com.au or call 03 5227 6033

 

The venue is wheelchair accessible. Please contact Annie if you have any other access needs.

 

 

The Integrated Family Violence (IFV) plan started in 2006. It aims to improve and develop services to people experiencing family violence, in all communities in the region. These plans are linked to the Regional Indigenous FV Action Plan.

 

See pdf link … BSW NEW Governance Structure Map 2009

 

This approach brings together family violence and other services wishing to improve responses to:

 

·        Reduce deaths, injuries and the emotional impact of family violence

·         Better respond to all women and children experiencing family violence

·        Strengthen the response of the police and the courts to family violence

·        Hold men who use violent/abusive behaviour accountable to change their behaviour

·        Emphasise the rights, needs and safety of children

·        Provide greater support to all workers who deal with victims of family violence

·        Raise awareness about family violence across all communities in the region.

 

 

What is Family Violence?

 

The Barwon Integrated FV Plan use the following Definition -

 

Family violence is the repeated use of violent, threatening, coercive or controlling behaviour by an individual against a family member(s), or someone with whom they have, or have had, an intimate relationship. Violent behaviour includes not only physical assaults but an array of power and control tactics used along a continuum in concert with one another,18 including direct or indirect threats, sexual assault, emotional and psychological torment, economic control, property damage, social isolation and behaviour which causes a person to live in fear.

Currently only certain behaviours and actions defined as family violence are criminal offences19, any behaviour that constitutes family violence is unacceptable.

Family violence can occur within any intimate relationship, including same sex relationships. It affects transgender people, the elderly and people with disabilities. While it can be perpetuated by any member of a family against another,20 it is more likely to be perpetrated by men (predominately by a woman’s current or ex-partner) against woman and children.

Because family violence can occur in any culture, it is important that the definition of family violence recognises and reflects the perspectives and realities of all communities within Victoria, including Indigenous communities. The Victorian Indigenous Family Violence Taskforce has defined family violence as: ‘An issue focused around a wide range of physical, emotional, sexual, social, spiritual, cultural, psychological and economic abuses that occur within families, intimate relationships, extended families, kinship networks and communities. It extends to one-on-one fighting, abuse of Indigenous community workers, as wellas self-harm, injury and suicide.

(From: DV Victoria Code of Practice)

 

 

If you would like more information about the IFV Plan – email