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Events
The Hatchery | Sydney & Online | 28-29 July Register here
This years conference moves from awareness to action, examining the hidden dynamics of coercive control and advancing trauma‑informed, culturally grounded prevention that centres children’s voices and lived experience.
ANROWS | 4 August 2026, 12:00pm | Online Register here
About this webinarThis webinar explores the role of community-led research in preventing and responding to domestic, family and sexual violence, with a focus on the priorities outlined in the Australian National Research Agenda to End Violence against Women and Children (ANRA) 2023–2028.
What will be discussed?
Who should attend?Researchers, evaluators, funders, practitioners, service providers, data custodians, and others involved in domestic, family and sexual violence research and evaluation.
WESNET | 15-17 September, 2026 | Brisbane | Register here About this eventWesnet’s 7th Technology Safety Summit brings together national and international experts to explore the relationship between technology and gender-based violence, with a focus on preventing and responding to technology-facilitated abuse.
Key topics
Who should attend?Family and domestic violence frontline workers, advocates, policymakers, technologists, legal and law enforcement professionals, researchers, and others working to prevent and respond to technology-facilitated abuse.
Sexual Assault Services Victoria (SASVic) | 4-6 November | MelbourneRegister hereSexual violence affects every part of society. This summit brings together practitioners, advocates, leaders and researchers to drive collective change across prevention, response and recovery.
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Announcements
Applications are now open for our 2026/2027 Prevention Communities of Practice!Safe and Equal’s Communities of Practice bring together primary prevention practitioners to share ideas, strengthen practice build skills and make connections.
Available Communities of Practice:
Free and mostly online with the possibility of some hybrid sessionsExpress your interest by 27 July here
National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021–2030 – second action plan consultation
Development of the Second Action Plan under the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021–2030 is now underway. This next phase provides an important opportunity to respond to existing and emerging issues, as well as community priorities and concerns about how child sexual abuse is prevented and addressed.
A national survey is open, inviting people across Australia to share their views on the actions needed to better protect children and young people from sexual abuse and strengthen support for victims and survivors. The survey can be accessed through the Attorney-General’s Department consultation hub. Responses are open until 11:59pm on 31 July 2026.
Work is also progressing on several related national action plans, including:
AusAlert: The Australian Government is launching AusAlert – a new national warning system that sends emergency messages to compatible mobile devices including mobile phones, smart watches and tablets. Alerts can also be received on children’s safety watches and Apple CarPlay devices.Community and National testing of AusAlert will commence in June and July. Many people experiencing domestic and family violence rely on a hidden phone to access safety and support services. If you or someone you know has a hidden device, it is important to plan ahead.
You can avoid receiving the test by:
More information and upcoming test dates
Left behind: Systemic inquiry into responses to children and young people who are the subject of multiple reports to Child Protection | The Commission for Children and Young People | 18 May 2026 | Read more
This report highlights that although all children should grow up in safe, supportive environments, many in Victoria still experience harm. Children caught in this cycle often face family violence, neglect, and ongoing disadvantage, and there are frequent missed opportunities for early intervention.The report calls for system-wide improvements, including:
Media Release: Protecting Older Victorians From AbuseVictorian Government | 15 June | Read the full announcement
Access the framework and other related resources on our ‘Abuse in older adults’ page.
Media Release: Funding Boost For LGBTIQA+ Family Violence PreventionVictorian Government | 12 JuneMinister Horne has announced funding to support organisations working to create a safer, more inclusive Victoria, including; Safe and Equal, Zoe Belle Gender Collective, Thorne Harbour Health, Proud 2 Play and Switchboard Victoria | Read the full announcement
Media Release: Australian-First Hospital Pilot To Stop Youth ViolenceVictoria Government | 14 JuneThe government is piloting an Australian-First hospital program that supports young people admitted after violent incidents by connecting them with mentors and services to prevent further harm and retaliation. It aims to reduce future crime through early intervention at two major Victorian hospitals. The pilot recognises evidence that some young people involved in violence have experienced it themselves, including in the home, and that early support can help break that cycle | Read the full announcement
Media Release: New report urges action for children and young people experiencing violence – not just listeningDomestic Family and Sexual Violence Commission | 9 JuneA roundtable held in December 2025 brought children and young people with lived experience of DFSV together to speak directly with the Minister for Social Services. The report’s key message is that it’s time to move from listening to taking action on what young people say needs to change. | Read more
News & Views: 29 women. 9 children. This is what survivors say needs to changeLisa Wheildon, Women’s Agenda | 28 May 2026Despite ongoing deaths from gender-based violence in Australia, meaningful reform is hindered by political inaction and the exclusion of survivor expertise, particurlary from marginalised groups. | Read the full article
Opinion piece: Australian schools can help prevent intergenerational violence — if we give them the support they needMatt Tyler and Kate Fitz-Gibbon, ABC | 21 May 2026 Schools are under growing pressure to respond to family violence, which affects a large proportion of students and impacts their wellbeing and learning, yet they lack consistent support, resources, and specialised services. Strengthening teacher training, trauma-informed responses, and government support, alongside better integration with external services, could help schools more effectively support affected students and play a role in prevention. | Read full article
Safe and Equal submission: Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee Inquiry into anti-LGBTIQA+ hate crimes in Victoria | 8 May 2026 | Read the full submissionThe submission highlights that anti-LGBTIQA+ hate crimes share common drivers with men’s violence against women, namely the enforcement of rigid and hierarchical gender norms and efforts to punish and control people whose bodies, identities and relationships do not conform to expectations of cisnormativity and heteronormativity.
Inquiry into the relationship between domestic, family and sexual violence and suicide | Read submissionThe Centre’s recent submission to the inquiry into the relationship between domestic, family and sexual violence and suicide highlights that exposure to DFSV significantly increases suicide risk for children, young people and non‑offending caregivers, both immediately and across the lifespan.
Submission: Preventing perpetrators from accessing victim-survivor’s super death benefits | 20th April 2026 | Read full submission
Under the current rules, perpetrators of domestic and family violence (DFV) can access victims-survivors’ superannuation death benefits. The Federal Government is now consulting on reforms to prevent this from happening.
Alongside other sector organisations, Safe and Equal supports these proposed changes and is calling for stronger protections to ensure perpetrators are not able to access these benefits. This includes:
Seeking participants
This project aims to explore pathways into young people’s use of violence towards family members and intimate partners. We are interested in understanding how adverse childhood experiences and other aspects of a young person’s life and background might contribute to their use of violence, particularly how these factors might interact with situational and relationship factors in the lead up to, during and following an act of violence.
Have you worked with any young people who you believe may be interested in participating in the study? To be eligible young people need to meet the following criteria:
The Rose Project is seeking participants who identify as women living in Australia and who have had an unwanted sexual experience at age 60 or older to take part in an interview. This research aims to better understand older women’s experiences of unwanted sexual activity in later life and the support they need. | More info
Private Lives 4 is Australia’s largest national survey of the health and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, and asexual (LGBTIQA+) adults to date. It is conducted by the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS) at La Trobe University. The survey will provide vital information for health professionals, service providers, community organisations and governments to better understand and support the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ people in Australia. | Take the survey
Our Watch is developing new guidance on best practice social marketing to prevent violence against women, building on a national literature review completed with the University of Technology Sydney.
The review identified 12 key practice recommendations to strengthen impact and effectiveness. To ensure the guidance is practical and grounded in real-world delivery, feedback is now being sought on barriers to implementing good practice. Councils and practitioners are encouraged to complete a short survey (approx. 5 minutes) to help shape the final guidance and support stronger prevention campaigns across the sector. | Take the survey
Recovery and healing after sexual or family violence
currently seeking to interview Dads who have lived experience of childhood abuse (whether family and/or sexual violence), and who would be willing to reflect on their own parenting journey as they also seek to recover and heal from the past.
Contact
Family and domestic violence (FDV) is a significant issue in families of both current and former members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) have jointly funded this project, which will lay groundwork for monitoring trends in FDV through ongoing evidence production and translation involving existing data. This project will also ensure strategies are informed by a deep understanding of military cultural and organisational contexts, as well as veteran-centric systems, and how these contexts impact on disclosure and the continued use of FDV.Read more
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