In partnership with Domestic Violence NSW
It’s zero two hundred hours on the frontlines of domestic violence and we are waiting with Celeste at the other end of the phone on the Men’s Referral Service phoneline.
Despite the early hour, Celeste is patient and generous as they explain how the service runs – “my role enters at a point where a man calls our service seeking support to change his violent behaviour”. There is a strong sense of hope in the way Celeste talks about her work, explaining that “change is possible. As someone who works with men on a daily basis and supports them in changing their behaviour – I have to be able to believe this.”
The reason a phoneline like this and job like Celeste’s exists can be found in the statistics published by the NSW bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOSCAR) which last year found that 70% of alleged offenders of DV related assault in NSW were male and 100% of all perpetrators of female Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) murder in NSW were also male. Despite this evidence, the National Community Attitudes Survey revealed an alarming number of the general public still believe that domestic violence is equally perpetrated by men and women (over 40%). It is gaps in understanding like this that point to the importance of cultural change and education around issues like domestic violence.
“If we want a future free from family violence, we have to work with the behaviour itself.”
This is why Domestic Violence NSW is asking the NSW government to invest in primary prevention initiatives. In 2024 the government will introduce the NSW Strategy for the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence 2024-2027 but for this strategy to be successful, the government needs to send more than thoughts and prayers and actually invest $40 million to stop violence before it starts. You can read the budget submission put forward by Domestic Violence NSW here.
Celeste is the second frontline worker Domestic Violence NSW has featured this May as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This 24 Hours on the Frontlines campaign run by Domestic Violence NSW uses a series of videos to showcase the pervasiveness of domestic violence in the community and the strength of the sector working tirelessly to stop it. You can follow the campaign on Domestic Violence NSW’s Instagram, Facebook or Tiktok.
If you want to know what the government should be doing in order to stop violence before it starts – you can read Domestic Violence NSW’s pre-budget submission here.
If you want to join the fight against domestic violence, make sure you sign their pledge.