Barwon South West – Integrating Family Violence
Barwon South West Integrated
Family Violence Forum
FREE EVENT
As 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, are the individuals you work with impacted by their
past experience of childhood sexual assault …………
‘Indentifying
the impact childhood sexual assault has on the likelihood of a woman becoming a
victim of family violence in adulthood’
This forum will present current evidence about the prevalence,
nature and impact of sexual assault and other forms of gender-based violence
has on women (in particular), their
lives, their life chances and life outcomes.
Camperdown Golf Club,
Presenters:
Pat McLaren – Manager, Emma House Domestic Violence
services Inc
Introduction – how we arrived at this topic for today’s forum.
Jill Duncan – CASA House Centre Against Sexual Assault
Violence against women takes many forms. It may commence in childhood
as sexual abuse and or witnessing family violence. Significant numbers of women
have multiple experiences of gender-based violence from a range of men in their
lives. Sexual assault is a central element of much of this violence causing
fear; from being uncomfortable to terrorised. Emotional, psychological and
other consequences of the fear engendered by gender-based violence are wide
ranging and long lasting and may touch every aspect of a woman’s life. Many of
these impacts potentially further disadvantage victim/survivors; creating
points of vulnerability that perpetrators of violence against women look to
exploit.
Dr Kathy Thomas – Barwon CASA
Those children who
experience childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and other abuse often end up in violent
relationships as adults. This presentation will consider how we may
explore these issues with the women with whom we work, and help them to
understand the connections and personal impacts of multiple traumas. We
will also briefly look at the types of therapies being used to promote healing,
including very basic strategies that can be used immediately with these women,
and the peek-a-boo group work that is preventative, building attachment bonds
in mothers and their young children who have experienced abuse.
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.
For more information about Integrated
Family Violence in the region see www.bswifv.org,au
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