Speech Delivered by Pauline Woodbridge, National WESNET Chairperson

2 August 2005, Melbourne

Domestic Violence, like sexual assault are subjects most people find difficult to engage with. Many myths about what it is and who it affects are well embedded in our society and are hard to shift.  Minimising, denying and blaming are activities undertaken by the perpetrators of the violence and also by the wider society. Sometimes this surprises me, because, as I talk to people in all sorts of settings, nearly everyone knows of someone, a family member, mother, daughter, sister or a friend, a workmate or a neighbour who has experienced domestic violence at some time in their lives.

Over many years, research and data collection demonstrates what a huge problem domestic violence is, in Australian families – families where the rhetoric and images are of home, nurture, love and growth.

The Access Economics 2004 research puts the cost of violence at $8.1 B per year. This comprehensive report counted the cost from a wide base, and it is clear that the victims of the violence pay the greatest cost of all. It is women and children who are numerically, physically and emotionally the major victims of these chronic patterns of abusive behaviours, behaviours that too many times ends in death.

Another issue that constantly surprises me is the reluctance in all sectors of society to really hold the abusers responsible for their actions. This tolerance to the levels of violence against women and children is a social ill that needs much more attention. To me as a long time worker, domestic violence seems to be everywhere in terms of its prevalence, and nowhere in terms of the strength of our collective abhorrence.

Australian and International research details the co-existence of domestic violence and child abuse. The presence of one form of violence is a strong predictor of the other. Children and young people are particularly vulnerable to domestic violence because of its secretive nature as the perpetrator enforces social isolation to avoid detection.
A child’s exposure to domestic violence may be through directly witnessing the violence, and they may be a victim as well, they may intervene in attempts to protect their mothers or they may overhear the yelling and the hitting, and they will undoubtedly sense the fear and tension.

Every child’s experience is unique, however for all of them, their sense of trust and safety will be fragile. These children and young people have been betrayed and harmed, along with their Mum, by the very people who where meant to nurture and protect them.

In my service in Townsville, we have a quote up on our wall, it says;

“Children are not the people of tomorrow, but are people of today. They have the right to be taken seriously, and treated with tenderness and respect. They should be allowed to grow into whoever they were meant to be. The unknown person inside each of them is our hope for the future”. (Janusz Korczak).

Children in our society should have the right to grow without violence and abuse.

This Body Shop campaign is an opportunity for each of us to do something about changing the situation, to raise awareness and to be active about protecting the victims and at the same time work towards eliminating the abuse and stopping the violence. This campaign will give people a chance to understand the issues and to be involved in a call to action around the provision of properly funded services, in all our communities, metro, regional, rural & remote. This is not a small issue, every community, every nationality, every class, every race, and every age is being affected every day.  By taking the opportunity this campaign brings, we can all work together to make children’s lives count.

Despite my opening comments there is a group of dedicated workers around this country who do engage with the issue of the abuse and violence experienced by women and children, and many of these workers are in services that make up the membership of WESNET. There are about 380 services supporting WESNET as their peak body with their membership registration. The range of services include high security refuge, shelters, safe houses, domestic violence services, information, referral and counselling, and outreach services.

It is services like these that know the truth of the stats that show that 0-4 year old children make up the greatest number in domestic violence/homeless services and that it is the 0-4 age group that suffer the highest turn away rate from services. So what happens to these children? Many of them return home to live with their abusers; many of them end up with unsafe and unsatisfactory accommodation arrangements. All because our society does not accept and embrace the reality of their lives and provide adequate services.

WESNET calls upon governments to work together with us to provide the services are so badly needed, especially in rural and remote areas. We need the government to consult with us and fund us to provide a range of activities that educate, support and heal. We need legislation and education of the perpetrators to ensure that they stop their violence or face the consequences. We need to keep this issue on the agenda until the violence stops and every home is a safe home. Every postcard will help and WESNET members appreciate and gratefully thank The Body Shop for providing this opportunity.