DV-alert awareness session to keep women and children safe from violence

Lifeline Ballarat will facilitate a two hour domestic violence awareness session with the Western Victoria Primary Health Network in Ballarat on Tuesday.

Participants will learn to identify the different signs and forms of abuse that constitute domestic and family violence and receive tools for support and referral.

Lifeline Ballarat program manager Michelle MacGillivray said it was important members of the community understood physical abuse was not the only form of domestic violence.

"Often people don't realise that there are nine categories of violence," she said.

"Often they think if there is no physical violence, it is not actually family violence. When you start to talk about technology facilitated abuse, social abuse, isolation and the many forms that constitute domestic and family violence, people do get a raised awareness and start to connect the dots."

The DV-alert Awareness Session is targeted at community services including health and education and is an introduction component to domestic violence response training.

Watch the video on the DV-Alert program below.

DV-alert also offers a two-day training program that covers how to recognise domestic and family violence, respond and refer.

Crime Statistic Agency data shows Ballarat police are called to an average five family violence incidents ad day.

The figures reveal that in the 12 months to June 30 2018, Ballarat police responded to 1913 family violence incidents. Of those, an ambulance was needed to transport a victim to hospital 77 times.

Ms MacGillivray said awareness was growing, but there was still a lot of work to do to change people's attitudes about domestic and family violence.

"You will often hear why don't they just leave. It is not that simple. Often leaving is the most dangerous time for a person who is experiencing the violence," she said.

"It is about working with someone in a safe way to develop plans to keep them and their family safe. Each person's particular situation is unique.

"If you are noticing signs of violence the most important thing is to invite conversation with the person who may be experiencing violence and help make it safe for them.

"It might be that I have noticed you have withdrawn from family functions or social occasions or perhaps you are missing a lot of work - the question should be 'is there something we can work on together to help you?'."

READ MORE: Family Violence statistics point to a grim reality in Ballarat

Ms MacGillivray said if somebody opens up and shares their experience of domestic and family violence, the most important response is to believe them.

"For many people that first reaction is so important and if they are not believed they will shut the door and live in a potentially unsafe situation," she said.

"If they are experiencing violence you will need to help refer them to a specialist domestic violence provider like WRISC or Berry Street."

READ MORE: "I will never be free": family violence victims suffer abuse after separation

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 personal safety data found one in five women had experienced sexual violence and 61 per cent of women had children in their care when the violence occurred.

The DV-Alert program has been running since 2007 as part of the national plan to reduce violence against women and children.

The free program is delivered in Ballarat and communities around the Victoria.

Visit dvalert.org.au/ for more information and a full schedule of program dates.

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000

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