Original research outputs from this collaborative project.
Throughout 2026, the Centre, NTV, SASVic and Safe and Equal are collaborating to deliver a suite of live events, as part of the Family Violence Sexual Violence Project.
On this page:
Project managed by the Centre
Hosted by the Centre’s OPEN Team, this first session marked the launch of two significant resources focused on children impacted by fatal family violence: a new online Spotlight page and the children’s picture book What Ally Needs Now. This hybrid event had over 500 registrations from around the country, and brought together researchers, practitioners, advocates and people with lived experience to strengthen understanding and drive improved responses for children and young people.
University of Melbourne’s Homicide at Home research project has centred lived and living experience in building a deeper understanding of children and young people impacted by fatal family violence. Presentations from the research team highlighted critical gaps in Australia’s current response – including the absence of data on number of children affected, limited tailored supports, and a lack of child-centred approaches across systems.
Key insights reinforced that children experience:
Centre event: Child-centred practice after fatal family violence31st March 2026
This digital eBook produced by the University and lived experience team is now available for public download.
The event launched the new Spotlight on children impacted by fatal family violence which addresses a long-standing gap – the absence of a single, accessible place for practitioners to find knowledge and child-centred guidance to better understand and support this group of children.
The Spotlight brings together:
Designed for real-world use, the Spotlight pages aim to support practitioner confidence while also strengthening advocacy for more coordinated and effective system responses.
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Project managed by No To Violence (NTV)
About the project:
NTV is developing an intersectional guide for practitioners working with young people (18–25) who have used intimate partner violence (IPV). This work centres on the safety and well-being of victim survivors — the young people and children most affected by youth IPV.
With the forthcoming MARAM specialised practice guides for children, young people, and adolescents using violence due for release in 2026, building workforce capability has never been more urgent. This project translates research evidence and practice-based learning — including from Meli’s Young Men’s Group in Geelong — into clear guidance for practitioners. While the primary focus is on the 18–25 cohort, insights from this project are intended to inform future work with young people aged 15–17, for whom tailored responses remain largely absent.
Key outputs:
A commitment to coalition-building underpins all of this — bringing together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and people with lived experience, with the goal of building a coordinated voice on youth IPV and laying the groundwork for the systemic change this issue demands.
Jump over to our page on Young Person Intimate Partner Violence for all references and curated research materials.
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Project managed by Safe and Equal and SASVic
About the project
Early experiences of violence are profoundly important and often associated with the use of violence in adolescence. Safe and Equal (SaE) and Sexual Assault Services Victoria (SASVic) are partnering on a joint project to strengthen early intervention responses for children and young people aged 10-14 years old who have experienced family violence and sexual violence, and/or who have engaged in or been exposed to harmful sexual behaviours. The project will identify best practice early intervention programs across the family violence and sexual violence sectors, with the goal of informing and strengthening early intervention approaches within the Victorian context.
Together, SaE and SASVic will lead knowledge translation, through engagement with practitioners, our respective membership bases and victim survivors. Subscribe to stay up to date!
Survey: mapping sexual violence early intervention programs for children and young people
Does your service deliver early intervention programs for children ages 10-14? We would like to hear from you!
We understand many programs and approaches may involve elements of early intervention but may not be considered strictly early intervention programs. As such, we would like to hear about any programs your service delivers that works with children with a focus on reducing or preventing sexual violence, child sexual abuse, or harmful sexual behaviours.
If your service delivers any such programs, please complete the survey below by Friday 8 May. If you have any questions about the survey or the wider project, please contact Dr Monica Campo.
These events and research projects are part of the Family Violence Sexual Violence Project, a collaborative partnership between the four peaks.
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