Becoming an Ally
An ally is someone who provides emotional support and practical assistance to another. To be an ally of someone who is experiencing domestic violence, you need to be able to listen, validate their experience, and, if possible and safe, provide tangible forms of support.
Change Is Up to All of Us
What is needed is no less than cultural change. This is advanced by community initiatives that seek to increase awareness, prevention and response to domestic and family violence, and empower those most at risk. We need no less than:
Training and Education
Violence often escalates gradually, and many perpetrators test boundaries to see what they can get away with. When communities don’t tolerate disrespectful behaviour at early stages, it sends a clear message and can prevent escalation to violence.
Lived Experience Reading List
Thomson, Deborah. (2018).Whose life is it anyway? Recognising and surviving domestic violence.Brolga Publishing.
Research
The Violence and Abuse Research Unit at the Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies (TILES) brings together researchers interested in family violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, and child abuse from disciplines including sociology, criminology, psychology and health economics.