Photo by Hoi An Photographer with thanks to Unsplash
Supporting survivors of family violence requires a good knowledge of the support available in the community. Below are some key organisations we hope you will learn about.
Fourth Update
At the Buddhist Council of Victoria, we promote the principles of Recognise, Respond and Refer, for anyone who comes into contact with someone experiencing family violence.
- Recognise the signs of domestic and family violence
- Respond with appropriate care
- Refer effectively to support services
Get Help
The national helpline number for family violence matters is 1800 RESPECT – 1800 737 732
A person in immediate danger should call 000.
For an interpreter service call 13 14 50.
Lifeline provides support for people in crisis, call 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14.
The Orange Door
The Orange Door is a free service that will help someone experiencing family violence. They can be contacted during office hours, Monday to Friday, 9.00 to 5.00. See:
https://www.orangedoor.vic.gov.au/who-we-are#who-is-the-orange-door-for
Contact: https://www.orangedoor.vic.gov.au/contact-us
- The Orange Door can help if:
- you have experienced family violence, including controlling behaviour like someone monitoring where you go, who you visit or how you spend money
- you need help with parenting, or you are worried about the wellbeing or development of a child or young person
- someone close to you is making you feel afraid or unsafe such as your partner, ex-partner, family member or carer
- you are a child or young person who doesn’t feel safe or cared for
- you are using or are at risk of using abusive or controlling behaviour or you need help with these behaviours at home or in a relationship
- you no longer feel safe to return home and need immediate support
- you are worried about the safety of someone you know.
The Orange Door will work with you on your own, or together with your family members depending on your situation.
Everyone is welcome at The Orange Door and you don’t need a referral. You can seek help or support if you are a migrant or a refugee or do not have permanent residency.
The Orange Door has 46 locations in Victoria where support can be obtained. Contact can be made by phone, email or in person, and each location offers the same help and support.
Find an office near you: https://www.orangedoor.vic.gov.au/support-near-you
Safe Steps
If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence, support can be obtained 24 hours a day from Safe Steps at: https://safesteps.org.au/
Safety Planning
Whether you want to stay in your relationship or leave, you are the best judge of your own safety. No matter what you decide, Safe Steps can help you explore safety options, create a safety plan, and put in place safety measures to help reduce risk including access to aids, support or equipment. You can call Safe Steps on 1800 015 188 to discuss your options.
Find more information on safety planning at:
https://safesteps.org.au/our-services/services-for-women-children/safety-planning/
If you are a friend or relative of someone you are concerned about, find out how to recognise the signs of family violence here:
https://safesteps.org.au/understanding-family-violence/how-to-support-someone-experiencing-family-violence/
Victims of Crime
The State Government of Victoria supports victims of crime. https://www.victimsofcrime.vic.gov.au/
If you or someone you are assisting needs help in a language other than English, find out here about interpreter services:
https://www.victimsofcrime.vic.gov.au/get-help-your-own-language
Advice about how to report a crime, written in Easy English, can be obtained here:
https://www.humanrights.vic.gov.au/static/b0d071d9cd3e5f23fe23be099a304e51/Resource-Reporting_A_Crime-EE-2015.pdf
Increased Assaults During Holidays
New research from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) highlights the heightened risk of assault during public holidays in NSW. The report reveals a significant increase in domestic violence (DV) and non-domestic violence (non-DV) assaults on key public holidays, with New Year’s Day showing the most dramatic spike.
New Year’s Day a Standout for Assaults
According to the study, New Year’s Day consistently records the highest number of assaults of the year. The median number of non-DV assaults on this day is 224, an alarming 166% higher than the daily average. Similarly, DV assaults on New Year’s Day reach a median of 157 incidents, which is 118% higher than usual. “The early hours of New Year’s Day are particularly concerning, with assaults peaking between midnight and 3 a.m., reflecting the extended revelry of New Year’s Eve,” said Jackie Fitzgerald, Executive Director of BOCSAR.
See more: https://bocsar.nsw.gov.au/media/2024/mr-assaults-over-public-holidays-bb174.html
Upcoming Courses
DV-Alert offers courses for those working in community organisations to enable participants to respond usefully when in contact with someone experiencing family violence. These courses are delivered on behalf of Lifeline Australia.
Free introductory two-hour online courses can be booked now for dates between January and May. These workshop will explain what domestic and family violence is and how to Recognise the signs. Attendees will learn how to Respond safely and options for Referral for the person experiencing domestic and family violence.
Enrol here for a two hour DV Aware Online course.
https://www.dvalert.org.au/enrolment-listings?page=1
Apply here for two day Foundations Workshop for frontline workers:
https://www.dvalert.org.au/workshops-courses/foundations-workshops/2-day-foundations-1
This workshop covers the nature and scope, patterns and impacts of domestic and family violence, what to consider for diverse groups, communication skills, safety planning, referral pathways and more.
By the end of the workshop, you will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to:
- Identify and respond to the needs of clients who may be experiencing domestic and family violence
- Respond appropriately and how to refer clients to appropriate services and support.
Following on from the two day foundation workshop, participants are encouraged to attend a one day Multicultural Focused Workshop. This is offered at no cost to equip frontline workers with the knowledge and skills to respond effectively to domestic and family violence within Australia’s diverse cultural communities. This workshop is part of DV-alert’s Assessment Pathway, helping learners work towards a nationally recognised Statement of Attainment.
Apply here:
https://www.dvalert.org.au/workshops-courses/1-day-focused-workshops/1-day-multicultural
Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls with Disabilities
Violence against women and girls with disabilities is a prevalent, serious and preventable form of human rights abuse. This violence takes many forms, occurs at all levels of society, and can be perpetrated by both individuals and institutions, in many different contexts. See the Our Watch report, Changing the Landscape.
https://www.ourwatch.org.au/change-the-story/changing-the-landscape
and download the report at:
https://assets.ourwatch.org.au/assets/Key-frameworks/Changing-the-landscape-AA.pdf
Preventing Violence Against the LGBTIQ Community
A number of studies have found that intimate partner violence is reported at similar rates in same-gender relationships to heterosexual relationships, while some studies have found higher rates. Pride in Prevention is a guide to the primary prevention of violence experienced by LGBTIQ communities.
Download the resources from Rainbow Health Australia here:
https://rainbowhealthaustralia.org.au/pride-in-prevention
Overcoming Resistance and Backlash
Resistance and backlash are common and ongoing challenges faced by practitioners and organisations working on primary prevention of family violence and all forms of violence against women. This is a complex phenomenon where we work, learn, live and play. Those working in primary prevention have a responsibility to reflect on how prevention efforts may provoke hostile, aggressive and even violent forms of backlash directed at those advocating change, leaders or organisations as a whole. This overt backlash may be coupled with more subtle or passive forms of resistance, which may include:
- denying the gendered drivers of violence against women;
- refusing any responsibility to address the issues; and
- delaying or obstructing progressive change to patriarchal norms, practices or structures.
It is important to understand, monitor and develop practical strategies to minimise and overcome different forms of resistance. The ‘Understanding, monitoring and responding to resistance and backlash’ report seeks to advance our understanding of this issue and to define practical approaches to monitoring, assessing and responding to backlash and resistance that emerges in organisational settings.
Find out more here:
https://www.respectvictoria.vic.gov.au/understanding-backlash-and-resistance
Diarise Stalking Awareness Day in Australia, 24 May 2025
Link: https://sada.au/
What is stalking?
Stalking is a crime. It is behaviour through which someone imposes themselves into another person’s life in a way which causes distress, fear, and disruption.
- According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics:
- an estimated 2.7 million people aged 18 years and over (14%) have experienced stalking since the age of 15.
- About 2 million of these people are women accounting for 20 per cent, or one in five
- Women are stalked three times more often than men.
- Stalking perpetrators can be anyone, including members of your family, neighbours, acquaintances, work colleagues, or even complete strangers.
- Many well known serious crimes have occurred because of escalating behaviour by stalkers.
Source: Personal Safety, Australia, 2021-22 financial year | Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au)
Resources: https://sada.au/resources/
Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health
Link: https://www.mcwh.com.au/
Strengthening Our Collective Knowledge Project
Link: https://www.mcwh.com.au/project/strengthening-our-collective-knowledge/
The Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health is working together with migrant and refugee women from different backgrounds and faiths, to share relevant messages about violence against women with their communities in more meaningful ways.
Latest Resources
As part of the ‘Strengthening Our Collective Knowledge’ Project, MCWH has published 4 new videos in Thai on identifying different forms of family violence and what services are available to support those who have experienced family violence in Australia. Watch them below:
ความรุนแรงในครอบครัว – ไม่ต้องกลัวปัญหาวีซ่า – Thai
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0IEIPExB9g
Whittlesea Community Connections and the State Government of Victoria have developed fact sheets about family violence in a number of languages. See the links below to download fact sheets in English, Nepali and Sinhalese.
Nepali Fact Sheet सहयोग माग्ाले तपाईंलाई सुरक्षित रह् सहयोग ग्नेछ ।
Radio Podcast from 3RRR program, Uncommon Sense.
Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon explains why violence against women and children is not a series of isolated incidents but a pervasive, systemic issue – and a national crisis that needs a commensurate whole of government and community response. This is outlined in her short book for Monash University Publishing; ‘Our National Crisis: Violence Against Women and Children.’ Kate is an internationally recognised expert in domestic and family violence, femicide, perpetrator interventions, and the impacts of policy and practice reform in Australia and internationally. She is a Professor (Practice) with the Faculty of Business and Economics at Monash Uni, and an Honorary Professorial Fellow with the Melbourne Law School.
Our Watch (https://www.ourwatch.org.au/)
- Report on Tracking Progress in Prevention
- Upcoming training on new resources for preventing violence against women and girls with disabilities.
11 December 2024. Online via Zoom – free. - Discussion on masculinities and the media 18 November 2024.
Register at: training@ourwatch.org.au