No to Violence

Commissioner Micaela Cronin spoke with No to Violence CEO Phillip Ripper at the Engaging Men and Boys to End the Cycle of Violence Conference in Sydney this morning. Men and boys were highlighted as a priority in the Commission’s first Yearly Report in 2024, and the Commission has now held two roundtables on men and boys.   Key conference discussion points included: - Using inclusive and strengths-based language matters. - We need to develop new ways of understanding accountability and responsibility. - Men’s behaviour change programs (MBCPs) were conceptualised as part of a holistic service system – this integration is yet to happen. - We need to actively seek to engage and work with and for all kinds of men. - We need to acknowledge backlash and strategically implement strategies to overcome it.   Thank you to Phillip Ripper and No to Violence, Ben Vasiliou and The Man Cave, The Hatchery (Hub) and all participants for this important conference. 

First morning: grabbing the chance to connect and collaborate! The fourth annual Engaging Men and Boys to End the Cycle of Violence Conference started today. NTV is co-hosting the event along with The Hatchery (Hub) and The Man Cave, delving into the issues at the heart of working with men and boys to address their use of violence and keep women, children and communities safer. The day kicked off with a moving meditation from Arman Abrahimzadeh OAM GAICD where he reflected on his childhood experiences of of domestic and family violence and the loss of his mother to violence. This was followed by a session with the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin with NTV CEO Phillip Ripper as she shared the Commission’s observations on engaging with men and boys. Following an insightful presentation from Victoria’s Parliamentary Secretary for Men's Behaviour Change Tim Richardson MP, Phillip then explored the rapidly changing political and public discourse on men’s family violence, reflecting on the policy challenges and opportunities presented in the mission to end family violence - including our upcoming federal election campaign aiming to keep family violence at the forefront of the political agenda. To find out more about the campaign and get involved email policyandresearch@ntv.org.au Olsen Clark Dr Rebecca Buys Tony Johannsen Allison Wainwright Caitlin Davies Cathy Humphreys Lizzie Rankin

A meeting of minds (and peak bodies) and the start of a big couple of days of conversations and collaborations! Today NTV's Phillip Ripper, Caitlin Davies, Dr Rebecca Buys and Olsen Clark met with Delia Donovan, Carolyn Hodge and Sarah Judd from valued and influential NSW peak body for specialist domestic and family violence services in New South Wales Domestic Violence NSW. Really important discussions about how we can work together to address family violence in NSW and nationally. Thanks for making us feel so welcome Domestic Violence NSW!

Funding announced to support justice system reforms In the lead up to International Women’s Day, a historic inquiry has come to a close – asking why so many sexual assault victims and survivors are locked out of seeking justice. The government have responded swiftly with an early investment to bolster the impact of newly created specialist sexual assault legal centres, extend their reach across the country and trial Justice System Navigators. Breaking down siloes between legal and social support is a leap in the right direction. Both legal and support services are critical parts of the broader domestic, family and sexual violence sector. Nearly $20 million in funding is sorely needed in this space. A system that needs navigators is a broken system. Victim-survivors should be confident that they will be safe and treated with dignity when reporting sexual violence and throughout the prosecution of their case. $600,000 to ask more questions about why so many victim-survivors are turned away by police and courts is essential. No to Violence applauds the government’s efforts to scope independent processes to investigate cases where police turn victim-survivors away. Our feedback to this historic process focused on myths about sexual assault which are baked into systems. Improving community confidence in decisions made about sexual assault cases sends a clear message to the broader community, to people using violence, and to victim-survivors that sexual violence is not acceptable and that accountability rests with those using violence, not with victim-survivors. Safety and dignity for victim-survivors means ensuring accountability for people using violence and opportunities for them to change their behaviour to end their use of violence. We will keep pushing for this to be reality alongside our colleagues. Mark Dreyfus Katy Gallagher Amanda Rishworth 

🔥 International Women’s Day: Accelerate Action to End Violence Tomorrow, March 8th, is International Women’s Day—a call to action, not just a celebration. This year’s theme, Accelerate Action, urges us to move beyond words and drive real change. Violence against #women and #children is a crisis of humanity—but it is preventable. The facts are stark: 1 in 4 men has used physical violence against a partner. 1 in 8 girls and 1 in 11 boys have been sexually assaulted before turning 18. We cannot afford to wait. 🚀 Now is the time to invest in #research, support women’s rights movements, and fund civil society organizations. Together, we are the solution. Consider joining me in viewing the compelling video produced by SVRI, (Sexual Violence Research Initiative) which was recorded at the SVRI Forum 2024. In it, prominent experts on violence against women and violence against children explore what the field needs to deliver evidence-based solutions that respond to local needs and that have the greatest potential of creating lasting change. 🔴 Violence is preventable. Watch. Learn. Act. Join us. Together, we can end violence against women and children in a lifetime. Like me, consider joining SVRI! Share, learn & connect!  Learn how we can drive evidence-based change: 📺 Watch the powerful SVRI film now & share 🔗 Full length SVRI Documentary:   https://lnkd.in/gsYUvuVf 📺 🔗 5-Minute Overview  https://lnkd.in/g4kuz2T3 📩 Stay informed & get involved: 🔗 Subscribe to the SVRI Newsletter https://lnkd.in/g69C8uKv 🌐 Visit the The Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) website: www.svri.org https://lnkd.in/guTn_bza #EndViolence #SVRIForum #ViolencePrevention #ActForChange #InvestInSolutions #WomensRights #ChildProtection #HumanRights #EvidenceForImpact #AccelerateAction #IWD2025 #EndViolenceNow #InvestInWomen #BeTheChange #ActNow #AccelerateAction #CommunityMatters #EndFamilyViolence #ElectionPriorities #InternationalWomensDay #GenderEquality #LinkedInNewsAustralia

NTV Board member Joshua Smith speaking on what makes a good male ally at a local International Women's Day event.

National online survey of service providers in contact with young people - Last chance to complete - survey closing 9th March! The IVY Study is an Australian response that aims to build understanding of young people’s use of and/or experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) and how services and agencies across Australia are responding to young people. If you engage professionally with young people in any capacity—whether through intake, referral, or other means — The Ivy Study wants to hear from you! Your contribution will help improve future service delivery and responses on this important matter. You do not need to be a youth-specific organisation or service to participate.    The survey takes about 30 minutes to complete and is anonymous. If you're interested, please read the participant information sheet linked below before starting the survey. https://lnkd.in/gYpjSBwn

Yesterday, we brought together nearly 100 NTV members and colleagues from across the domestic, family and sexual violence sectors to find solutions to ending men’s use of family violence and build a strong coalition with clear campaign priorities. A big thank you to everyone from across Australia who provided their valuable insights and participated in this crucial conversation. We left the conversation feeling energised and inspired – we hope you did too! Areas we covered included: A Sustainable Sector with secure, fair, transparent funding for the family violence frontline to thrive. Dignity-First Systems which prioritise the safety and dignity of marginalised people. Supporting Community-Led Responses to emerge and build a broader suite of options for engaging with people using violence. Evidence-Based Interventions which build the evidence base on pathways into and out of using violence to shape the development of a comprehensive suite of approaches. Building Foundations for Innovative Practice where practitioners can innovate and continuously improve. Strong Advocacy to Government so family violence remains a national priority. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to join our election campaigning efforts! For anyone who missed the event and wants to be part of this movement for radical change please email policyandresearch@ntv.org.au Together, we can drive meaningful change and put family violence on the election agenda. #EndFamilyViolence #ElectionPriorities

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has today released new proposed rules intended to provide people affected by domestic, family and sexual violence with safer, more secure and more reliable telco services. The ACMA has released the new proposed rules for public consultation after identifying that existing industry guidelines, which are not enforceable, are not enough on their own to address this problem. The proposed rules were developed following discussions with consumer advocacy groups, industry and government, including those that support victim-survivors, First Nations Australians, people with a disability, regional communities and people experiencing vulnerable circumstances. There's a link to provide feedback on the draft industry standard via the link below.

Great to have our latest journal article, “Police Officer-Involved Domestic Violence: Examining the Unique Risks and Barriers to Safety”, published in Violence Against Women this week. Led by Ellen Reeves with Silke Meyer, Sandra Walklate and I. 📑 Our article examines victim-survivor’s experiences of domestic violence when the perpetrator is a serving police officer. Drawing on the findings from a survey and interviews with 17 victim-survivors of officer-involved domestic violence (OIDV), we explore the unique risks, systemic barriers to safety, and significant barriers to seeking safety and justice faced by victim-survivors of OIDV. Findings from our study highlight the need for: ⚖️ Independent oversight and accountability measures in police responses to officer-involved domestic violence. 🛑 Enhanced reporting mechanisms for victim-survivors of OIDV. 👉 You can read our article here: https://lnkd.in/gUeSepJN