Our Call for Generational Change
Our recent 2024 community survey highlighted the diverse family dynamics in our community whilst also uncovering disturbing statistics about violence in our community. These figures spoke volumes to us:
4% of respondents identify as part of the LGBTQI+ community
32% are either neurodiverse or have neurodiverse children
12% of respondents are survivors of family violence
2% are living with family violence
Digging deeper into these statistics, we find some correlations within these groups. The rate of family violence was particularly high for those who identify as neurodiverse or in a LGBTQI+ family. Results were statistically significant (p=.001), indicating that the odds of neurodiverse families experiencing family violence were 2.7 times higher than neurotypical households.
Worse still is the situation for our LGBTQI+ community, with the odds of being a survivor of family violence 6.7 times (p=.001) greater than in heterosexual partnerships. There are many compounding factors beyond the scope of our survey contributing to this disparity, but it highlights a distinct need for additional services, education and support.
Many of the MotHs volunteers have recently taken time out to complete 3Rs training with FVREE. 3R's training is a 3-hour interactive training that explores family violence in all its forms. We learned how to Recognise the signs of family violence, develop the confidence to Respond to a disclosure and know how to Refer someone to the right supports. This training can be delivered online or in-person.
The training had us thinking about what we could do to prevent generation family violence. We found the FVREE website particularly useful for understand areas that we could focus on. FVREE identifies four key expressions of gender inequality that predict or drive violence. The drivers they idenitified are below:
Condoning of violence against women
Men’s control of decision making and limits to women’s independence in public life and relationships
Rigid gender stereotyping and dominant forms of masculinity
Male peer relations and cultures of masculinity that emphasise aggression, dominance and control
We took a look at our community and it dawned on us how much change was needed. We live in an at risk community, vulnerable to bushfires and severe weather events. The statistics are pretty clear on the correlations between natural disasters and family violence. The aftermath of a disaster can intensify existing beliefs about traditional gender roles, responsibilities, and entitlements for men, which are often ingrained in broader societal norms. An increase in family violence following a disaster does not imply that natural disasters cause family violence. However, in situations involving displacement, loss of community identity, injury, or even the death of loved ones, narratives that excuse men's violent behavior can become prevalent. Natural disasters can in effect become an excuse or a way to justify violent behavior.
Living in our area can be tough, requiring skills that have traditionally been highly gendered. Using chainsaws, generators or reversing a trailer have been seen as particularly masculine. Being part of the Police, CFA, SES, local football club or cricket club have all been highly gendered organisations too. While it is clear that things are changing, there is still a long way to go and as our survey results show, change needs to happen now.
MotHs has applied for grant funding through the Xero Beautiful Business Fund to help develop programs and awareness in our community to stop family violence from being the shameful crisis it is. Even if we are not successful with this grant round, we hope that this video will spark conversations and opportunities. To our wonderful network of friends, researchers, and orgnanisations, please hear our call to action and join us in making a difference in our community.
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