Violence Free Families Project

Violence Free Families Project

This quotation from The Age last week gave me a jolt as I read how this woman feels now that she has discovered what family violence means at a truly personal level. For those of us women who have only had caring, loving, reasonable men in our lives it is difficult to comprehend the fear that is felt: "At home, I am afraid. I lie awake, listening to everything that goes bump in the night. Not for me, any longer, the snugness of home Instead the house, like the man, has become the foe. Windows rattle terrifyingly in the wind. A branch falls off a tree. A dog barks. I prowl the house with a telephone in my hand, ready to call 000. All I want to do is wake from the nightmare."

No, it's not the script of a movie or the text of a "good" novel. This is reality. It is someone's life. In our community! It could be my neighbour or yours. It could be me or you.

Kate and I represent our Rotary Club of Brighton North on the Violence Free Families Project initiated by Brighton Club. Brighton Beach Club is also involved.

The project has been supported financially by our club.

On 30 July 2009, the Committee set out to:

Ø  Publish the results of the recently completed two year research project;

Ø  Embark on a major new research study; and

Ø  Create a national charitable foundation for the prevention of family violence.

A behaviour change programme for men who were perpetrators of violence was organised and run for several years. A study of the programme, led by Prof Thea Brown and her associate, Ralph Hampson, of Monash University and a report of that research has been distributed to organisations working in this field across Australia.

Currently we are seeking government funding for a proposed research study into the long term effectiveness of male family violence prevention programmes, which will be the largest ever undertaken into the long term effectiveness of men's behaviour change programs, contacting initially about 2,600 men and partners. Work has now commenced on contract documents.

The Family Violence Prevention Foundation of Australia (Violence Free Families) was formally created on 9 December 2009.

 A new part of the project, the Community Outreach Project, aims to raise community awareness of the dangers of family violence and the help that is available by a series of local information nights. It is modeled on successful similar nights for depressive illness by beyondblue. Support for our first pilot night has been enthusiastically offered by the Salvation Army team in St Kilda. The Rotary Club of St Kilda is being invited to participate.

Kate and I are privileged to be part of this project and hope it will continue to receive the support of our club.

Kay Phillips