What will it take to stop men being violent toward their partners and children?

Australia is waking up to the reality of intimate partner homicide. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen media saturation, rallies and now a National Summit.

Yesterday our Prime Minister announced the federal government will fully fund the Leaving Violence Program with a budget estimate of more than $900M and general commitments to tightening law reforms and controlling online behaviour.  

The Prime Minister’s strategy falls short of what’s required on many levels and fails to answer the question of what will stop men’s violence.

He promoted the LVP as a one-off payment of $5000, in actuality, it is $1500 plus goods and services. It is woefully inadequate.

The LVP continues to put the onus on victims to stop the violence (by leaving) rather than forcing the perpetrator to take accountability by removing themselves or being forcibly removed from the situation.

None of the Prime Minister’s headline announcements offer strategic breakthroughs for the upstream prevention of family violence.   

For 10 years, RAV has been building communities where family violence can no longer live. We do that through conversation, education, action and investment.

To stop men being violent we call on the Prime Minister to:

1. Remove bureaucratic blockages that are preventing the rollout of respectful relationship education throughout Australian high schools.
2. Build reliable community services so when people reach out for help they get it.
3. Ensure our policing and judicial systems puts the safety and well-being of victims, especially children, ahead of the needs of the perpetrator.
4. Instigate a widespread and ongoing whole-of-community respectful relationship education campaign via TV and social media to set a new national standard of healthy behaviour.
5. Buy a t-shirt, pay your entry, and participate in this year’s Run Against Violence.  

Then you’ll know what real and lasting community development looks like.