The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on all of us.  It would not be an exaggeration to say that the mental health of everyone has been (and continues to be) challenged in the face of tough government restrictions and forced social isolation, which risk our economic security, and our physical and mental health. Whilst commercial courts throughout Australia have largely adjourned or suspended hearings, the family Court necessarily had to find a way to continue – the risk to litigants was too great for it to suspend operations altogether.  This has meant that the Court (which ..read more

Sometimes a frontline worker is the first person someone shares their story with – the first person someone shares their emotional pain with.  DV-alert gives frontline workers the tools to go on that journey. DV-alert connects the dots, giving you the tools and confidence to assist anyone impacted by family violence in the most appropriate way. Women living with domestic and family violence often make decisions based on lack of choice. You are there to listen, believe and validate. We look at safety planning, guiding clients to take the lead. Frontline workers tell us that they leave the ..read more

The impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on all of us has been significant.  The shock has been felt by even the most harmonious of families and couples, with the juggle of home schooling and working from home arrangements having a dramatic impact on women in particular, and in many homes reinforcing gender roles which previously may have been long forgotten.  The financial impacts have also been equally devastating for many. Imagine the impact on those who are already suffering at the hands of family violence?  Their home no longer a sanctuary, but a potential warzone with no escape ..read more

Using mindfulness can be an excellent way of coping with stress and anxiety. Mindfulness has been around for ages. However mental health professionals are beginning to recognize that mindfulness can have many benefits for people suffering from a variety of psychological difficulties, including post-traumatic stress disorder. There are a number of different mindfulness skills and exercises, and you can learn more about them in this article. Sitting Meditation: Sitting meditation is an excellent way of practicing mindfulness, as well as learning how to bring acceptance to your thoughts and feel ..read more

Grounding is a practice that can help you pull away from flashbacks, unwanted memories, and negative or challenging emotions. These techniques may help distract you from what you’re experiencing and refocus on what’s happening in the present moment. You can use grounding techniques to help create space from distressing feelings in nearly any situation, but they’re especially helpful if you’re dealing with anxiety, depression and PTSD. The post Physical vs Mental Grounding Techniques to Quit Distressing Thoughts appeared first on Stop Domestic Violence Conference ..read more

As a primary teacher in a country school situated opposite my home, I used to feel like I never really left work. It probably didn’t help that my four children made up almost 10% of the student population at that time, so there was sometimes a bit of grey area between my work and home life. But nothing really prepared me for how much of my life would be taken up with working in the primary prevention of violence against women field. When you know more, you will want to do more In March 2016, only a week into my new health promotion role, I was catapulted into the world of primary prevention in ..read more

  Have you ever wondered how domestic violence survivors rebuild their lives after experiencing years of abuse? The Australian Charity Broken to Brilliant was founded in 2016 by domestic violence survivors to mentor fellow survivors helping them to create a new chapter in their lives. Our goal is to reduce the long-term impact of domestic violence and to create a community of connection, support and mentorship amongst domestic violence survivors. From our years of personal experience, feedback from our fellow survivors and the research literature it has been identified that there is a lack of ..read more

The following blog is an opinion piece written by our STOP Domestic Violence Conference Ambassador, Liana Papoutsis. My name is Liana Papoutsis. I am a survivor of horrific family violence and a survivor of being re-traumatised whilst navigating the family law system. I am also a member of the first ever Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council (VSAC) in Victoria, the first of its kind in Australia. Please find below my response to the announcement of the latest family law inquiry. In March of this year we heard Prime Minister Scott Morrison emphatically state that, “A culture of disrespect towards ..read more

Liana Papoutsis is a highly experienced human rights, international relations and law academic, family violence and social change advocate. Recognised with the Deakin University, Lynne Alice Prize for Excellence in Human Rights and International Law, Liana is an esteemed bi-lingual academic engaged as a specialist consultant for the Victorian Government’s design and delivery of family violence reforms at the Department of Premier & Cabinet and Family Safety Victoria. Liana draws on her own lived experience of surviving and starting life again after family violence to inform foundational ke ..read more

Simone O’Brien is a domestic violence survivor, speaker, strong advocate for women against violence, at 44 years old she, is a mother of three beautiful children. Her journey started in 2012, when she suffered a horrific attack at the hands of a perpetrator who would not take “no” for an answer. It started with emotional and psychological abuse and ended up with her being beaten with a baseball bat to within inches of her life. Find out more about Simone in our exclusive ambassador Q&A. Q: Why did you decided to become a STOP DV Conference Ambassador? A: To tell Australia how it is in the ..read more