Family violence response centre Safe Steps has welcomed initiatives in the 2025-2026 Federal Budget aimed at reducing gender-based violence, including $21.8 million over the next two years to continue early intervention programs in First Nations communities, and $2.5 million next year for emergency accommodation for women and children.
Safe Steps CEO, Dr Chelsea Tobin, says this funding for crisis accommodation and wrap around support services will continue to help victim-survivors rebuild their lives in safety.
“We acknowledge the continuing commitment to deliver the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-32, and we recognise that more than $4 billion has been provided over three years towards it,” Dr Tobin said.
“However, there is nothing in the Budget that specifically supports children and young people experiencing family and domestic violence and helps ensure they don’t fall through the cracks.”
Safe Steps is Victoria’s only 24/7 family violence response centre. It provides family and domestic violence information and support, safety planning and risk assessment, and access to crisis accommodation. It also delivers part of the national 1800 RESPECT support service.
More than 40 per cent of Australians under the age of 16 are exposed to family and domestic violence, and, on any given night, 43 per cent of individuals in Safe Steps crisis accommodation are under the age of 16.
“In Australia, there is no response dedicated to young victims of family and domestic violence who independently seek support. They are caught between a child protection system and a system for adults.”
“The fact is, if a 17 year old is scared to go home tonight, they have very limited options and they don’t know where to turn for support,” Dr Tobin said.
Last month, Safe Steps launched a powerful Australian documentary – Unanswered Calls – to show exactly how young people are being turned away or not adequately served by adult support services. The film shares stories of young people who did eventually work up the courage to ask for help, but were told there was no support available to them without parental consent.
“Young people need a dedicated national support and referral service that they can engage with directly and independently, so that they can feel safe.”
“If as a society we’re serious about reaching the stated national goal of reducing family violence in a generation*, we need to offer services that are relevant and easy to find for young people,” Dr Tobin said.
“Too often young victim-survivors are treated as an extension of their protective parent, but they have their own unique needs and their own trauma.”
Safe Steps will continue to advocate for funding for a national pilot support service, co-designed with young victim-survivors, in the lead up to the Federal Election.
“What works for adults doesn’t work for young people. We need to provide young people experiencing family violence with help on the digital platforms they use.”
“Co-designing a digital platform with young people is key – the next generation of help-seekers isn’t likely to use a telephone hotline.”
Dr Tobin says the best international examples of youth domestic and family violence services were created with input from young people.
Safe Steps is also calling for mainstream domestic and family violence helplines to be equipped with specialist youth expertise, so that young people receive an appropriate response if and when they reach out for help.
“Even if we only think about this in economic terms – the cost to the Australian economy of ongoing physical and mental health effects suffered by victims of family and domestic violence is more than $10.4 billion each year*. That – along with the deep and long-lasting trauma on our next generation – is surely too great to ignore”.
*National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032
For more information or to arrange an interview with Safe Steps CEO, Dr Chelsea Tobin, please call Emma O’Sullivan on 0402 466 459.
