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N o.

1 1

(Y o u th

V io le n c e )

O -C .D a te :

1 9 /1 0 /0 9

S T A N D IN G

C O M M IT T E E

O N

1 9

OCT 2009

F A M IL Y , C O M M U N IT Y ,

H O U S IN G SY O U T H

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P r o te c tiv e M o th e r s A llia n c e

A u s tr a lia n H e a d O ffic e

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B ox

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p m a a u s tr a lia @ liv e .c o m

C o m m itte e S e cre ta ry

S e n a te C o m m u n ity A ffa ir s R e fe re n c e s C o m m itte e

P O

Box 6100

P a r lia m e n t H o u s e

C a n b e rraA C T 2 6 0 0

R E :

In quiry in to S uicide in A ustralia

D ear S ir/M adam ,

A s th e r e c e n tly a p p o in te d A u s tr a lia n d ir e c to r o f th e in te r n a tio n a l p r o te c tiv e m o th e r 's a llia n c e , I

a p p r e c ia te th e o p p o r tu n ity to c o n tr ib u te to th e In q u ir y in to th e im p a c t o f v io le n c e o n y o u n g A u s tr a lia n s .

W ith o v e r fiv e y e a rs o f h a n d s o n e x p e rie n c e w o r k in g w ith y o u n g p e o p le a n d th e ir fa m ilie s o fte n a ffe c te d b y s u ic id e ,I a m a b le t o p r o v id e th e b a la n c e r e q u ir e d t o a c k n o w le d g e th e n e e d s y o u n g p e o p le a n d th e ir fa m ilie s a f f e c te d b yv io le n c e . W e a c k n o w le d g e t h a t v io le n c e a g a in s t y o u n g p e o p le isa s ig n if ic a n t is s u e th r o u g h o u t h o m e , in t h e w o r k p la c e a n d s c h o o ls .

S o m e o f th e K e y is s u e s th a t a re p r e d o m in a te ly o n th e s o c ia l fa c to r s n e e d in g t o b e

addressed are:

1 .

L e a d e rs s u p p o rtin g o r ig n o r in g v io le n c e a g a in s t y o u n g p e o p le .

W ith in th e m e d ia c e le b r itie s e s p e c ia lly w ith in th e f o o tb a ll c u ltu r e h a v e b e e n in th e s p o tlig h t

1 2

f o r v io le n c e in

v a rio u s fo rm s

a re o fte n e x c u s e d

o r e v e n s u p p o r te d f o r th e ir a c tio n s

, w h ils t v ic tim s a r e fo r c e d to e n d u r e th e

tr a u m a a n d im p a c t o f th e v io le n c e m a d e a g a in s t t h e m .

C o d eo f S ile n c e- S a ra hF e rg u s o n , F our C o rn e rs . 1 1 /0 5 /2 0 0 9

W a y n e C a re y a s s a u ltp ro b e -A n t h o n y D o w s le y , H e r a ld - S u n D e c e m b e r2 8 , 2 0 0 6

1 2 :0 0 A M

F o o tb a ll 'th u g s ' b a n n e d fro m

c o a s tp u b -Rebecca T ucker, F ebruary 2 4 th , 2009

N oR a p e C h a rg e s A g a in s tT h e C a n te rb u ry B u lld o g s - A n n eS u m m e rs , M a y2 n d , 2 0 0 4

I'v e w a ite ds e v e n y e a rs fo rc a ll: M a tth e wJ o h n s - A m a n d a M e a d e , T h e A u s tr a lia n , M a y 1 4 , 2 0 0 9

P a g e

R e c o m m e n d a tio n s :

•

T h o s e la w s s im ila r t o d e f a m a tio n a r em ade t o e n s u re th a t a ll p u b lic m e d ia d o e s n o t c o n d o n e o r tr iv ia liz e

v io le n c e o f a ll f o r m s .

T h a t m o re e d u c a tio n

p r o g r a m s o n a ll f o r m s o f v io le n c e b e im p le m e n te d a m o n g s t s p o r t o r g a n iz a tio n s

a r o u n d A u s tr a lia .

2 .

L a w s th a t u n d e r m in e p ro te c tio n sfo r y o u n g p e o p le .

T he curren t provisions for the fam ily law act override

the wishes of young people even in occurrences where the

parent has proven to be a risk in the past or w here there isa crim inal history of violence up untilthe age of

e ig h te e n

.R e s e a rc h h a s e v id e n c e d e v e n in lo n g itu d es tu d ie s

th a t t h e im p a c t o f fa m ily v io le n c e c a n c o n tr ib u te t o

a r a n g e o f m e n ta l h e a lth is s u e s

R e c o m m e n d a tio n s :

•

T h a t a p r o v is io n

b e m a d e w ith in th e fa m ily la w a c t to p r o te c t y o u n g p e o p le fr o m

e x p o s u r e t o o r r is k o f

f a m ily v io le n c e .

•

T h a t a ll s e r v ic e s t h a t a r e c h a r g e d t o in v e s tig a te a n d a d d r e s s f a m ily v io le n c e b e e m p o w e r e d to p r o v id e

the evidence required to ensure a young person's safety.

T h a t y o u n g p e o p le a r e e m p o w e r e d to o b ta in a fa m ily v io le n c e o r d e r a n d t h a t s ta te la w s e s ta b lis h a

c o n s is te n c y t o t h e e x te n t o f p r o te c tio n s a v a ila b le .

3 .

L a c k o f e d u c a tio n in a d e q u a te ly a d d re s s in g v io le n c e a g a in s t y o u n g p e o p le .

S o m e o f th e e v e r y d a y s e r v ic e s th a t e n g a g e y o u n g p e o p le a re e ith e r tr a in e d in u n d e r s ta n d in g v io le n c e in a lim ite d

m anner

1 0

o r th e r e h a s n o t b e e n a n y tr a in in g a ta ll

1 1

W h ils t it is e v id e n t th a t p r a c titio n e r s r e c e iv e s o m e tr a in in g ,

s o m e a s p e c ts o f v io le n c e a r e le f t o u t o f th e tr a in in g o r s im p ly n o t e n o u g h in - d e p th h a s g o n e in to u n d e r s ta n d in g

th e h u m a n r ig h ts p e r s p e c tiv e o f g e n d e r e d v io le n c e o r h o w t o p ic k u p o n th e s ig n s o f b u lly in g a n d d e a l w i t h it

a p p r o p r ia te ly

1 2

F a m ily C o u rts V io le n c e R e v ie wS u b m is s io nB y M e la n ieS h a m b a t, P r o te c tiv e M o th e r s A llia n c e A u s tr a lia1 6 ' O c to b e r 2 0 0 9

' T h e n e x u s b e tw e e n f a m ily la w , c h ild p r o te c tio n a n d d o m e s tic a n d f a m ily v io le n c e - L ib b y L lo y dAM , N a tio n a l C o u n c ilt o R e d u c e V io le n c e

a g a in s t W o m e n a n d th e ir C h ild r e n

C h ild re n ,y o u n g p e o p lea n d d o m e s ticv io le n c e , Is s u e s P a p e r2-2 0 0 0 -D rL e s le y L a in g

H e a lthE ffe c tso f F a m ilyV io le n c e ,N a tio n a l C le a r in g h o u s eo n F a m ily V io le n c e - D e b o r a h D o h e r ty , P h .D .

P ro fe s s io n a l P e rc e p tio n so f D o m e s ticV io le n c e : T h e R e la tio n s h ip b e tw e e n C a u s a l E x p la n a tio n sa n d V ie w s o n P re v e n tio na n d In te rv e n tlo n -

R achel A n n T a y lo r

1 1

F a m ily V io le n c e : A n I n te r v e n tio n M o d e l fo r D e n ta l P r o fe s s io n a ls.C o n n e c tio n B e tw e e nD e n tis try a n d F a m ily V io le n c eIn te rv e n tio n - K r is tin L itte l

D e a d lyP la y g r o u n d s : R e lie f T e a c h e rsa n d R e p o rtin go f B u lly in g In c id e n tsi n V ic to ria nP rim a ryS c h o o fe - K a th le e nF . H a llg a r te n2

|P a ge

R e c o m m e n d a tio n s :

M a p o u t a ll o f th e s e rv ic e s th a t a re in c o n ta c t w ith y o u n g p e o p le o th e r th a n s o c ia l w o r k e r s , y o u th w o r k e r s

and school s ta ff.

Providea periodical national survey to assess the know ledge level of professionals. W here there isa gap,

p r o v id e o r r e q u e s t th a t th e o r g a n iz a tio n p r o v id e tr a in in g .

4 .

R o le m o d e lin g o f v io le n c e w ith in t h e c o m m u n ity .

T h e o th e r a s p e c t is th e c o m m u n ity a ttitu d e s

1 3

th a t u n d e r m in e tr a in in g a b o u t v io le n c e , o fte n r e a c h in ga le v e l th a t it

is c o n d o n i n g

1 4

v io le n c e a g a in s t y o u n gp e o p le

1 5

.W h ils t it is im p o r ta n t t o a c k n o w le d g e th a t th e r e a r e fa ls e

a lle g a tio n s , g r o u p s w ith th e s e in te r e s ts

m o re o fte n th a n n o t te n d to "n a ys a y "

th e e x is te n c e o f v io le n c e a g a in s t

young people and reverse-educate

1 8

m e m b e rs o f th e c o m m u n ity . T h is c re a te s d iffic u ltie s f o r v ic tim s to b e a b le to

fe e l th a t th e y c a n re a c h o u t to p ro fe s s io n a ls w h e n th e y n e e d it a n d fu r th e r e m p o w e rs

1 9

th e o ffe n d e r to c o n tin u e .

It is im portant that som e boundaries are m adea s to how m uch public space that these groups can invade.

R e c o m m e n d a tio n s :

•

T h a t s tr ic t p o lic ie s a n d s ta n d a r d s a r e p u t in p la c e w ith in a ll o r g a n iz a tio n s a n d a g e n c ie s t o g u a r d a g a in s t

th is ty p e o f tr a in in g .

•

T h a t s p e c ia l tr a in in g p ro g ra m s a re im p le m e n te d a c ro s s th e c o u n tr y th a t in c o r p o r a te a n e v id e n c e b a s e d a p p r o a c h in a d d re s s in g th e s e a ttitu d e s w ith th e la te s t re s e a rc h , s o th a t a ll k e y s ta k e h o ld e r s a re a r m e d w ith th e c o r r e c t in fo r m a tio n to d e a l w ith s o m e o f th em is c h a r a c te r iz a tio n s o f v io le n c e a g a in s t y o u n g p e o p le .

5 .

U n b a la n c e d re s p o n s e s to w a rd s e n s u rin g th a t th e p e r p e tr a to ri s h e ld a c c o u n ta b le .

In th e m e d ia , th e r e h a v e o f te n b e e n a r tic le s

2 0

a n d e v e n s ta te m e n ts f r o mju d g e s

2 1

t h a t m is p la c e t o o m u c h

s y m p a th y f o r o ffe n d e r s e v e n w h e n th e y h a v e c o m m itte d th e m o s t o u tr a g e o u sc r im e s . T h e m e d ia h a sa s ig n ific a n t im p a c t o n h o w o u r c o m m u n ity u n d e rs ta n d s a n d re s p o n d s to v io le n c e .It is th e r e fo r e im p o r ta n t th a t r e p o r tin g th e c o m m u n it y is r e s p o n s ib le a n d b a la n c e d .

1 3

T w o S te p sF o rw a rd , O n e S te pB a c k : C o m m u n itya ttitu d e s to v io le n c ea g a in s tw om en- T a y lo r ,N

& M o u z o s , V ic h e a lth

1 4

D is tu rb in g a ttitu d e s tov io le n c e a g a in s t w o m e n u n c o v e re d in W h iteR ib b o n F o u n d a tio ns u rv e y -X a n th e K le in ig a n d C a ra J e n k in , T h e A d v e r tis e r

1 5

M is tr e a te d a n d m is u n d e r s to o d : Y o u n g w o m e n a n d d o m e s tic v io le n c e , n e g o tia tin g th e ju d ic ia l s y s te m - P e ta P r e s to n a n d S h a r o n G y d e

1 6

T h e J u d ic ia r y 's R o le in th e E tio lo g y , S y m p to m D e v e lo p m e n t, a n d T r e a tm e n t o f th e P a r e n ta l A lie n a tio n S y n d r o m e{P A S )-B y R ic h a rdA .

G a rd n e r,,M e n 's c o n fra te rn ityM .D .s e e a ls o ,R u lin g d e b u n k s c u s to d y d ia g n o s is - T o n yK o c h ,T he A u s tr a lia n a n dC h ild A b u s e

E x p e rtsA p p la u d L e g a l C o m m u n ity fo r R e je c tin g P a re n ta l A lie n a tio nS y n d ro m e -B a laC ynw yd, T h e le a d e r s h ip C o u n c il

1 7

F a m ilyL a w C o u rt 'S o ft' o nJ u s tic e ,S h a re d P a re n tin g C o u n c il o f A u s tra lia -E d w a r d D a b r o w s k i, D a d in d is tr e s s n e w s

1 3