Legislative Council, Thursday 28 November 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for WOMEN and the PREVENTION of FAMILY VIOLENCE, Ms PALMER

The Safe at Home program provides an integrated response to families and children who experience family violence. However, this is not available to children who are victims in their own right if their relationship is not recognised as significant in the eyes of the law. They have to be over 16 years of age and meet other criteria that someone else uses to make a determination of the significance of their relationship.

This means that young people are unable to be protected by FVOs or PFVOs, and that the integrated supports offered to others are unavailable to them. It is clear from Dr Hobbs's research that these relationships are significant and children are in danger.

What is the government doing to ensure these young people are provided with formal protection?

ANSWER:

As our understanding of family and domestic violence has evolved over the years, so to, has the understanding of the many forms violence can take, from the physical, to emotional and coercive control. Additionally, as clearly laid out in the Dr Carmel Hobb’s report, there is an increasing awareness that domestic violence can and does exist in teenage relationships.

I have been advised by the Minister for Police that for young people under 16 years, police may apply for a restraint order or make a referral to a youth service and service providers including the Child Safety Service.

The Tasmanian Government has introduced a total of 13 legislative amendments in 2023-24 to strengthen Tasmania’s legal responses to family and sexual violence and I know the Attorney General is always open to future improvements and I would encourage the Member for Murchison to reach out to the Attorney General to have a further discussion on the matter of intimate partner violence for children under the age of 16.

Under my portfolio, as Minister for Women and the Prevention of Family Violence, I would also like to recognise an award-winning program currently operating in Tasmania.

Home Base (formerly Colony 47) work across the state delivering the Step Up program.

The Step Up program helps young people aged 11-17 who are using violence at home but also in intimate relationships. Home Base works one-on-one with adolescents and their family or partner to find better ways to deal with conflict.
The objective of the program is for adolescents to learn:
• Nonviolent and respectful ways to communicate.
• How to resolve conflict without hurting people.
• Additionally, parents learn positive parenting that promotes non-violence and support at home.

In 2023-24, over 500 sessions were provided to young people across Tasmania and 135 cases were closed across the state.

The work of Home Base and the Step Up Program has been recognised, receiving the Bronze Award at the Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Award hosted by the Australian Institute of Criminology in Canberra earlier this month.