Dear readers,  

Welcome to the first edition of the 1800RESPECT Workers and Professionals Connect Newsletter for 2023. This year brings a renewed sense of hope and determination across the domestic, family and sexual violence sector to continue the vital and collective work of prevention, early intervention, response, and recovery and healing as outlined in The National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032. 1800RESPECT continues to support the National Plan through the provision of high quality information, counselling and support.

Over the December-January holiday period we have seen in the media ongoing issues impacting the Australian community related to cost of living pressures. We know that these hardships can often magnify incidents of domestic, family and sexual violence. Our website includes information for professionals on how to support someone experiencing financial hardship and insecure housing. We also have general information on supporting someone experiencing violence and abuse, regardless of the situation.

Across the sector we’ve also seen a focus on better protecting Australians when using dating services with a National Roundtable on Online Dating Safety convened by the Minister for Communications, the Hon. Michelle Rowland MP and Minister for Social Services, the Hon. Amanda Rishworth MP in January. Dating app companies, involved in these discussions, were encouraged to improve how user complaints were handled, among other suggestions. Online abuse and sexual violence is continuing to evolve in its complexities to monitor, with the Australian Institute of Criminology recently reporting that three in every four respondents in their study had been subjected to sexual violence facilitated via dating apps in the last five years.

Another significant development occurred earlier this year. As of 1 February, employees of non-small business employers can access 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave in a 12-month period. Employees of small business can access the leave from 1 August 2023. For more information visit the Fair Work Ombudsman website and/or speak with your employer to understand how you can access the paid family and domestic violence leave.

Finally, I’d like to share the news that Colleen Birchley will move into the role as interim Head of 1800RESPECT this month, as I take parental leave. With a background as a Registered Nurse, Colleen has been with Telstra Health for eight years and is currently Telstra Health’s Head of Virtual Care and Community Health Solutions. Colleen brings extensive experience across virtual care, primary and community health, and transformation, and has worked closely with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services across regional, rural and remote communities. I’m very confident in leaving the 1800RESPECT service in Colleen’s capable hands to focus on both continuity of service as well as ongoing improvements. 

Take care, 

Dr Jennifer Beer  

Head of 1800RESPECT 

About Colleen Birchley, Interim Head of 1800RESPECT

“This position at 1800RESPECT carries a lot of responsibility and one I don’t take lightly. At 1800RESPECT, we have an essential role to play in supporting people experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence who contact the service, navigate their challenges and provide them with the highest level of support appropriate to them.” 

Wellbeing 

In Australia, around 1 in 2 people will struggle with their mental health during their lifetime. 

Learning about mental health will help you look after your social and emotional wellbeing. It will also help you support people close to you. 

Beyond Blue has introduced an addition to its mental health toolkit: the check-in. 

The mental health check-in is a set of 10 questions that focus on how you’ve been feeling the past four weeks that is designed to help measure your emotional wellbeing and guide you toward support that is right for you. 

Take the mental health check-in now! 

Respect@Work Report Reforms

In 2020, the Australian Human Rights Commission released the Respect@Work: Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report. This report recommended the adoption of new frameworks to more effectively prevent and respond to workplace sexual harassment. A key reform in the amendment is the introduction of a positive duty in the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 that requires employers to take proactive and meaningful action to prevent workplace sexual harassment, sex discrimination and victimisation from occurring in the workplace or in connection to work.  

Employers will need to comply with these changes to meet their legal obligations, with compliance powers commencing from December this year. This means employers will need to take action and check their existing policy and training frameworks, to ensure they meet their new obligations.    

1800RESPECT provides support for people experiencing workplace sexual harassment by providing counselling support and information about sexual violence, including sexual harassment and targeted referrals to appropriate services. 1800RESPECT does not provide training to organisations. 

For more information about this amendment, please visit the Respect@Work website.  

Media

ABC: New South Wales launches online reporting for sexual assault survivors in a dozen languages. 

A Current Affair: A Domestic violence survivor calls for change in the parole system after her former partner was released from prison recently after assaulting her. 

Media Release: Minister Rishworth – The Federal Government convenes National Roundtable for Online Dating Safety. 

The Conversation: A 2022 survey by the Australian Institute of Criminology found three in four app users surveyed had experienced online abuse or harassment when using dating apps.  

The Conversation: Paramedics are in a unique position to witness early signs of abuse and neglect that may otherwise remain hidden. Despite this potential, they have very little education on child maltreatment, and they report feeling unprepared and unsure how to help. 

The Guardian: Feature story - Women aren’t always safe, even in gyms. But fear is a good way of reining them in. 

The Guardian:  Twitter, TikTok and Google forced to reveal what they do to combat child abuse.   

ABC News: Inquiry lays bare homelessness crisis facing older women in NSW. 

ANROWS Report: Service system responses and culturally designed practice frameworks to address the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children exposed to domestic and family violence. 

Women’s Agenda: Marking International Women’s Day, the Australian Government released Australia’s first Status of Women Report Card to highlight where progress on gender equality has stalled and more focus is needed.  

ABC: Domestic violence victims feel forced to co-parent with their abuser.  

If you are writing a news article, blog, podcast or television episode on domestic, family or sexual violence, please use the 1800RESPECT tagline. Reading about violence and abuse can be triggering. Including our tagline in your piece allows those who are impacted by media coverage to know immediately who they can reach out to for support. 

For a copy of our tagline and contact details for media enquiries, please visit the News and Media section of our website. 

Conferences and key dates

29 – 31 March: National Aboriginal Child Safety and Domestic Violence Summit 2023: Strong Families, Safer Children 

29 – 30 March: WA Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector Conference  

31 March: Transgender Day of Visibility  

April: Sexual Assault Awareness Month  

7 April: World Health Day  

May: QLD Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month  

1 – 4 May: The National Suicide Prevention Conference  

15 – 18 May: Family and Relationship Services Australia Conference 

17 – 18 May: Financial Counselling Australia Conference  

17 May: International Day Against LGBTQIA+ Discrimination 

27 May – 3 June: National Reconciliation Week  

DV-alert training, delivered by Lifeline since 2007, is a nationally accredited training program to build the knowledge and capability of frontline workers to recognise domestic and family violence, respond with care, and refer to appropriate services. Funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services, DV-alert training is available in face-to-face workshops, virtual workshops and eLearning courses. Go to dvalert.org.au, attend a workshop, and be empowered to act. 

The Office of the eSafety Commissioner delivers a range of free webinars as professional development for frontline, specialist and support staff in the domestic violence and disability sector across Australia. Topics include ‘Technology-facilitated abuse domestic and family violence situations’ and Supporting children and young people – technology-facilitated abuse in domestic and family violence situations. Register on the eSafety website.  

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Funded by the Australian Government

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, contact 1800RESPECT by calling us at 1800 737 732 or chatting online via our website (www.1800respect.org.au). In an emergency, call 000.