A new report by Southern Cross University highlights what children in Victoria who have experienced family violence need to support their recovery, while exposing systemic barriers to effectively support children as victim-survivors in their own right.
The report lays bare Victoria’s ongoing systemic barriers to supporting children as victim-survivors in their own right. In particular an insufficiently resourced specialist family violence service system; and family court orders requiring children to spend time with the person using violence.
Funded by the Victorian Government through Family Safety Victoria, the Children’s Voices for Change project was led by Dr Georgina Dimopoulos of Southern Cross University in partnership with Safe and Equal, and the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare.
“There is no ‘one size fits all’ for supporting children who have experienced family violence. Children don’t always have the same needs as their parent or carer or their siblings.”
The project analysed client data from The Orange Door to understand children’s family violence service system pathways; surveyed 320 Victorian practitioners who provide services to children who have experienced family violence; engaged with 23 children and young people who have accessed family violence support services in Victoria; and co-created a Children’s Feedback Tool with children and practitioners.
There are major gaps in understanding whether and how services in Victoria are meeting children’s family violence response and recovery needs. Yet the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032 identifies the need to ‘recognise children and young people as victim-survivors of violence in their own right, and establish appropriate supports and services that will meet their safety and recovery needs’.