Explore policy, reform and strategy, and understand FVSV service landscape
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Policy, reforms and strategy
Key reports relating to national and state policy, reform and strategies for ending family violence and sexual violence.
Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices is a 10-year national strategy that will guide actions towards ending violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children | Read report
The National Plan is the overarching national policy framework that will guide actions towards ending violence against women and children over the next 10 years.Full report | Executive summary
The Australian National Research Agenda (ANRA) is Australia’s guide to promote and support the creation of research that is needed to end violence against women and children.
Full report
The First Action Plan 2023–2027 provides a roadmap for the first 5-year effort towards achieving the vision of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children.Open in new tab
A campaign aimed at parents and families of children and young people aged 10-17. Open in new tab
Third rolling action plan to end family and sexual violence 2025-2027
Outlines 106 actions, which all parts of the Victorian Government must work together to achieve over the next three years. Open in new tab
For strategies in other states and territories, please visit ANROWS website.
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Service responses
Exploring systemic responses to family and sexual violence, how users navigate service pathways, and how organisations might better work together to provide effective, earlier responses and prevention.
*New* Moving the Middle: The Gender Compass Podcast | Listen nowEach episode explores how leaders, communicators and changemakers are engaging the “movable middle” – Australians whose views can still shift the national conversation on gender equality.
Gender-based violence and help-seeking behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic | MGFVPC, 2022 | Read moreThis research explores women’s experiences of violence and help seeking during COVID-19 restrictions, and the impact on health for social care workers providing support.
I believe you: Children and young people’s experiences of seeking help, securing help and navigating the family violence system | MGFVPC, 2023 | Read moreThis report presents the key findings and thematic analysis of interviews with 17 children and young people living in Victoria who have had experience of family violence.
Misidentification of Aboriginal women as primary aggressors in domestic, family and sexual violence
A new policy brief has been released that is essential reading for practitioners working in domestic, family and sexual violence. Authored by Dr. Chay Brown (Her Story Mparntwe) and Dr. Hayley Boxall (Australian National University), the brief addresses a critical and underexplored issue: the misidentification of Aboriginal women as primary aggressors in domestic, family, and sexual violence (DFSV).
The brief includes clear definitions of key concepts (primary aggressor, coercive control, systems abuse), illustrated scenarios showing what misidentification looks like in practice, an overview of contributing factors and consequences, and practical recommendations for police, courts, child protection, and legal services.
Recorded Crime – Offenders | Australian Bureau of Statistics, March 2026Data about alleged offenders proceeded against by police, including demographic, most serious offence, and family and domestic violence information. This new data shows an 8% increase in people proceeded against by police for family and domestic violence (FDV) offences in 2024–25, representing 7,103 additional offenders | View report
“Horrible, Fantastic, Traumatic”: Victim-Survivors’ Experiences of Police Interviews in Sexual Offence Cases and Suggestions Moving Forward | Mar 2026 | Access articleThis study explored adult victim-survivors’ experiences of reporting sexual violence to police in Australia, focusing on their suggestions for supporting future victim-survivors.
Harm in the name of safety: Victorian family violence workers’ experiences of family violence policing. Beyond Survival Project Report. | Flat Out Inc., 2025 | Read moreThe research documents evidence from 225 Victorian frontline workers about their experiences of police responses to family violence.
Predominant aggressor identification and victim misidentification | NTV, 2024 | Read moreThis discussion paper emphasises the need for family violence interventions to focus on the complexities of people using violence, their behaviours, motives and presentations to improve risk identification, assessment and management.
Coordinated Responses – continuing to strengthen collaborative practice | Centre, Safe+Equal, NTV | Read morePromotes collaborative practice by providing practice examples, including questions and tips for specialist family violence victim survivor services, perpetrator intervention services, and child and family services to use MARAM, FVISS and CISS across sectors.
Improving services pathways | Project Respect, 2024 | Read moreThis report explores the barriers faced by women and gender diverse people in Victoria’s sex industry when accessing support services.
Collaboration: A plan for making the difference | The Centre for Non-Violence and Bendigo Community Health Services, 2021 | Read moreA panel discussion about Making the Difference, an initiative of The North Central Victorian Family Services Alliance (NCVFSA) implementing the Safe & Together framework across all family services agencies and specialist family violence services across the region.
How multi-agency responses to family/domestic violence can generate positive systemic change | DV Vic, 2017 | Read moreIn 2016, Victoria’s Royal Commission into Family Violence made 227 reform recommendations, emphasising collaboration between agencies and establishing multidisciplinary responses.
Multidisciplinary practice involves collaboration among professionals from different disciplines, and is paramount when working with individuals and families dealing with complex situations with intersecting needs.
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