Family violence and the conversations we need to be having about it.
We asked Ballarat youth to contribute their thoughts and creativity in the space of family violence, for our It Starts With You postcard competition. View the second submission, from Pip, below.
More than one million Australian children are affected by family violence.
Children and youth who are exposed to family violence, either directly or indirectly, can experience long-term effects on their physical and emotional health and wellbeing.
It isn’t just being exposed to, or witnessing, violence that can have a traumatic impact on children and youth; family violence can cause homelessness, isolation, break up families, and result in mental illness for children who are affected. In 2017–18, over 26,000 clients seeking specialist homelessness services as a result of family or domestic violence were aged 0–9.[2]
Despite this, there are few studies that provide insights into children’s own understandings of the violence.
Safe homes. Safe families.
This week’s postcard is from Pip. You can download Pip’s digital postcard here as well as an A4 printable version.
‘This picture was designed to draw the attention of audience and an understanding at first sight in a colourful way opening it up to any audience viewing.
‘The speakerphones portrays how powerful our voices can be when used. This can be perceived in many different ways as it is very open minded but still related to speaking up.’ – Pip
It Starts With You postcard campaign was developed by the Safer Pathways project, and supported by the Australian Government Department of Social Services. Go to www.dss.gov.au for more information.
