The establishment of a police outreach service to help men who use domestic and family violence to change their behaviour is a key ask of the No to Violence South Australia Election Statement launched today.
The South Australia Police outreach service – mirroring those already operating in Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania – would refer men identified as violent or potentially violent to the Men's Referral Service for counselling and support.
No to Violence Chief Executive Officer Jacqui Watt said the Statement outlined three initiatives that were critical "if the Government is serious about ending men's family violence".
The NTV Election Statement calls for the next South Australia Government to fund:
- Investment in existing South Australian services working with men to end their use of family violence, to provide an integrated service response to police referrals and increase the number of available Men's Behaviour Change Programs and specialist male family violence interventions.
- A fully resourced and formalised police outreach service – including relevant training for police officers – that ensures men identified by South Australia Police (SAPOL) as using violence are formally referred to the Men's Referral Service.
- Expansion of existing crisis housing for perpetrators, to help keep victim-survivors safe in their homes, as part of a wider suite of perpetrator interventions.
"It is time to recognise that we cannot stop family and domestic violence until we stop men from using violence and abuse," Ms Watt said.
"Family and domestic violence is everyone's problem. But it begins – and ends – with men."
Ms Watt said police are often the first to respond to instances of family and domestic violence and the first to identify if a man is using violence against his partner, ex-partner or children.
"We also know that, historically, Australia's police forces have struggled to provide adequate responses to family and domestic violence. Failures of police responses have resulted in the avoidable deaths of countless women and children at the hands of men," she said.
"This outreach service would provide the opportunity to monitor men for warning signs of escalation – with the ultimate goal of keeping the perpetrator in view and intervening before another woman or child is killed."
NTV is the largest peak body in Australia for organisations and individuals who work with men to end family violence. NTV also runs the Men's Referral Service, which is the central point of contact in Australia for men taking responsibility for their behaviour and provides help to family members who are experiencing violence or controlling behaviour by men.
Ms Watt applauded the South Australian Government's recent investments in domestic and family violence services. "However, if the South Australian Government wishes to build on these foundations we must get more serious about funding the men's specialist sector," she said.
Ms Watt said significant political leadership and investment in prevention, early interventions and men's behaviour change must happen if governments are serious about reducing – and ending – the scourge of family and domestic violence.
"Terrorised women are fleeing their homes with their children because they are not safe. Others remain in high-risk situations with their children because they are too unsafe to leave," she said.
"For too long, victim-survivors have carried the burden of navigating a system that meets their cries for help with disbelief or bureaucracy; a system that requires women to relive their trauma by repeatedly sharing their stories; a system that puts women at risk because it focuses on what women should do to avoid violence, instead of what men should do to stop using violence.
"We need to help shift the burden of responsibility for family and domestic violence from victim-survivors to the men who use violence."
For almost 30 years, No to Violence has successfully worked to develop safe and effective interventions for men using family and domestic violence.
"Our fundamental belief is that children are not born violent," Ms Watt said.
"Boys do not have to grow into violent men. Violence is a learnt behaviour. And violence is a choice."
