SASVic acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional and ongoing custodians of the lands on which we live and work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. We acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded and recognise First Nations peoples' right to self-determination and continuing connection to land, waters, community and culture.
SASVic also acknowledges victim survivors of sexual violence who we work for every day. We acknowledge the pervasive nature of sexual violence, and the impact that it has on survivors and their communities. We celebrate the powerful advocacy of survivors that is changing systems and policy.
SASVic Member Update
Hi everyone,
Welcome to the first update of 2025. I'm acting as CEO while Kathleen is on leave until February 3rd.
With a new year comes a new SASVic campaign, and we're keen to share with you what changes we're asking for ahead of the Victorian budget in May. You can learn more about our 2025 campaign at an information session for members on 25 February (more information below).
We're looking forward to seeing some of your wonderful faces at our Recovery Day event on 19 February. We're keen to have an audience with representation from across sectors, so please feel free to share the event far and wide with anyone you think might be interested.
We also have two exciting job opportunities at SASVic to help lead the Justice Navigators pilot and our Civil Justice project (more information below).
The last item I want to mention is our new style and messaging guide, 'SAMANTHA.' The Policy, Advocacy and Research Team has been working hard over the past year creating this resource that brings together a writing style guide and the key information you need when communicating about a range of topics in our sector.
Below you'll find a roundup of opportunities and news relevant to our sector, including upcoming SASVic training in term one, how you can get support in your work with Forgotten Australians, research on the prevalence of online sexual solicitation of children, concerning stats about sexual violence within VicPol, and more.
Warmly,
Amy Webster
Acting CEO
SASVic
Contents
Featured
Member information session: SASVic's 2025 Campaign and response to the ALRC's inquiry
Join Jacqui, Holly and Amy from SASVic at our February information session for an overview of what's happening in sexual violence policy at a federal level and how we can push for change in Victoria ahead of the 2025 state budget in May.
The Australian Law Reform Commission's inquiry into justice responses to sexual violence report has been handed to Attorney General Mark Dreyfus and is expected to be tabled on 3 February. This information session is a chance for us to go through what this report recommends and what SASVic's response is.
We'll also give an overview of our 2025 campaign, calling on the Victorian Government to show us that it has heard the public outcry for action and is aware of the reform needed on sexual violence. We're calling on the Victorian Government to prevent funding in the sector from lapsing and invest an additional $12.8 million into rights, recovery and respect for survivors of sexual violence.
When: Tuesday, 25 February 2025
When: 2pm
Where: Online
To attend the information session, please register below to receive an outlook invitation with the Teams link.
We're recruiting!
SASVic is recruiting for two exciting new positions: a Justice Navigators Project Lead and a Civil Justice Project Lead.
The Justice Navigators Project Lead will help lead, coordinate, and deliver the Justice Navigators pilot. The role will involve a strong focus on co-design, stakeholder engagement, workforce development and evaluation. This is a full time or 4 days per week position.
The Civil Justice Project Lead will lead a new project that will work with legal and community stakeholders and better equip survivors to harness their compensation to further their recovery and well-being. This is a part time position, either 2.5 or 3 days per week.
Applications for both positions close on at 5pm on Sunday, 16 February.
Introducing our new style and messaging guide, SAMANTHA
SASVic's style and messaging guide, now available to our members, brings together the key information and messages about a range of topics important to our sector.
SAMANTHA (SAM) is a reverse engineered acronym for 'style and messaging anthology assistance'. It brings together:
- a Plain English guide
- a writing style guide
- notes about how we language
- definitions of key terms
- frequently used acronyms
- key messages
- links to key research.
You can use it when you want some guidance on how to talk about sexual violence, harmful sexul behaviour, tech-facilitated violence, prevention, affirmative consent, and a range of other relevant topics.
SAM is a living resource, so if you have some feedback or would like to see another topic added, send a request to comms@sasvic.org.au.
Service Design & Improvement
Please send any questions you have about our work in this area to maria.papadontas@sasvic.org.au
Open Place: Information sessions and offer of support for Forgotten Australians
We know people who spent all or part of their childhoods in institutional care systems before the 90s experienced alarmingly high rates of child sexual abuse, with 60.3% having been abused by either adult staff (55.3%) and/or by peers (41.8%).
This cohort is known as Forgotten Australians, and specialist sexual assault services can get support working with them through Open Place, the Victorian specialist support service for Forgotten Australians operated by Relationships Australia Victoria.
Open Place was established in 2011 following the findings of the 2004 Senate report on Forgotten Australians. A key finding was the difficulties that many Forgotten Australians face accessing ‘mainstream’ health and community services, and the need for a specialist ‘care-informed’ service with an understanding of Forgotten Australians’ experiences.
Open Place is keen to support you. They can:
- arrange information sessions with your teams,
- consult on supports available, including options to access longer term counselling where applicable
- provide information about the National Redress Scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse and the Victorian Redress for Historical Abuse scheme.
They also have a drop-in centre based in Richmond, and Social Support Groups that meet monthly in 13 locations across Victorian metro and regional areas including a 8 week ‘Healing Together’ group for Forgotten Australian women.
To discuss how Open Place can support your team please email Cameron Boyd, Co-ordinator for Open Place Counselling and Redress Support services, at cboyd@rav.org.au.
Advocacy & evidence
Please send any questions you have about our work in this area to amy.webster@sasvic.org.au
Our Minister has changed
A reshuffle of Victoria's Cabinet took place at the end of December, with Natalie Hutchins stepping into the role of Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and Minister for Women. Vicki Ward, who previously held those portfolios, is now Minister for Equality, Minister for Emergency Services and Minister for Natural Disaster Recovery.
Our New Attorney-General is Sonya Kilkenny, with the previous AG, Jaclyn Symes, becoming Victoria's first female Treasurer.
Kathleen and Amy, our policy manager, met with Natalie Hutchins on Tuesday 21 January and were impressed by her knowledge of sexual violence and focus on legal system reform.
Call for research participants: overlap between child sexual abuse and family violence
Researchers led by Professor Michael Salter are recruiting participants for a study on the overlap between child sexual abuse and adult family violence.
They're looking to interview:
10 adult survivors of child sexual abuse who meet all of these criteria:
- age 18 or older
- child sexual abuse (CSA) survivor
- the CSA perpetrator also used family violence/coercive control against their mother or stepmother.
10 mothers/stepmothers who meet all of these criteria:
- 18 or older
- family violence/ coercive control survivors
- the abuser also engaged in child sexual abuse against children in their family or other children.
If you know anyone who might like to participate, or have any questions about the study, please contact Professor Molly Dragiewicz (CSA survivors) or Dr Delanie Woodlock (mothers). You can find their details on the flyers linked below.
Podcast episode: Addressing knowledge and skills gaps in responding to child sexual abuse
Dr Amy Webster, our Manager of Policy, Advocacy and Research, was interviewed about our research on the knowledge gaps in the specialist child sexual abuse workforce on the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse's podcast.
The research, 'Delivering trauma-informed support for child sexual abuse victims in Victoria: mapping the knowledge gaps and training needs of the specialist sectors,' was funded by the National Centre and completed by Amy, Alice Hon and Emily Roberts.
Victorian Council of Social Services' budget submission advocates for our sector
VCOSS is calling on the Victorian Government to re-design the funding model for specialist sexual assault services to 'ensure organisations can meet demand and grow the specialist workforce'. This ask is part of their 2025 budget submission, which also recommends:
- funding for our sector to educate police and lawyers about sexual violence
- creating a program to help victim survivors access trauma-informed advice on their compensation options
- funding for our sector to offer more therapeutic and peer support groups for different cohorts
- new funding to the successful LGBTIQA+ specialist sexual assault counselling service.
More broadly, VCOSS is calling on the Victorian Government to end the 'drip funding' model for all government-funded community organisations and make default contract terms for programs and services seven years.
You can read more about what VCOSS is advocating for to create a Victoria free from violence on page 65 of their submission.
Ensuring that Aboriginal perspectives inform responses to Aboriginal victims
A new report has highlighted the barriers to disclosure, reporting and accessing support for Aboriginal people who have been victims of crime.
The report, completed by RMIT's Centre for Innovative Justice in partnership with Djirra, Elizabeth Morgan House, Aboriginal Women's Service and Dardi Munwurro, emphasises that barriers start with the impacts of colonisation.
The report notes "experiences of harm, including intergenerational trauma, are so widespread that many members of Aboriginal communities may normalise or minimise any experience of crime, particularly when perpetrated by someone close to them." Repeated negative experiences with the justice system also contribute to mistrust and a perception that help isn't available.
The report mentions several times the lack of culturally specific specialist services, including sexual assault services. Though none of its recommendations explicitly mention our sector, one of its recommended 'areas of future focus' is to build an Aboriginal workforce in 'key specialist roles such as social workers, psychologists, mental health and substance use practitioners.'
1 in 4 girls sexually propositioned online before they turn 18
More than a quarter of girls (26.3%) have experienced online sexual solicitation by an adult before they turn 18, according to new research from the eSafety Commissioner and Queensland University of Technology. The figure was almost double for diverse genders (48%), and just 7.6% for boys.
The vast majority of people surveyed said the solicitation (defined as requesting sexual information, conversation or images) started happening before they were 15, but 25% said it started before they were 12.
86.7% of the perpetrators were total strangers, underscoring the importance of addressing online safety.
The research, which was based on the Australian Child Maltreatment Study, also found that about 10% of girls had experienced image based sexual abuse before the age of 18.
The eSafety Commissioner is calling on all Australians to help make the internet a better place this Safer Internet Day, a global day of action coming up on 11 February.
Workforce development
Please send any questions you have about our work in this area to emily.roberts@sasvic.org.au
Training spotlight: Untouched
Join Susan Stark and Kendra Russell for this full-day, in-person training which aims to build foundational skills and knowledge for workers seeking to increase their capacity and confidence in providing support to survivors of sexual abuse and violence, regarding issues related to sex, intimacy and pleasure. Two dates available: Thursday 20 March OR Friday 21 March, 9.30am - 4.30pm. Second Story Studios. Fees will apply.
For practitioners new to somatic work, prior completion of ‘Foundations in Feminist Somatics’ (offered on 19 March) is recommended.
Legal policy
Please send any questions you have about our work in this area to jacqueline.bell@sasvic.org.au
New resource on sexual violence for the justice sector
A new resource for police, lawyers and people working in the court system aims to counteract false assumptions and stereotypes about sexual assault. Developed by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, the resource features 13 key insights, each with evidence and examples. The insights span topics like consent, trauma responses, barriers to reporting and the experiences of victim survivors from disadvantaged or marginalised communities.
This resource is an important step, and we'd like to see more training for the justice sector on sexual violence and harmful sexual behaviour in 2025 so we can improve survivor's experiences of the justice system. Our 2025 campaign asks the Victorian Government to fund SASVic to provide this training to lawyers, judges and magistrates, and add sexual violence and harmful sexual behaviour to the Victoria Police Academy curriculum.
Evaluation of the ACT's restorative justice scheme shows positive experiences for victim survivors
An evaluation of the ACT's restorative justice scheme for sexual and family violence offences is recommending that perceptions of restorative justice as 'soft' be challenged. The evaluation, completed by the Australian Institute of Criminology, also noted fewer sexual violence victim survivors participated in the scheme than expected because 'referring agencies' perceived restorative justice to be 'privatising' the response to sexual violence.
Most people participating in the scheme had a positive experience:
- 90% of victim survivors ('persons harmed') said they felt supported and were treated fairly and respectfully during the conference
- 80% said they felt heard and were able to say what they wanted to say
- 50% said the restorative justice conference made them feel safer.
The evaluation also found the family violence re-offending rate for adult perpetrators ("persons responsible") who participated in the scheme was lower than a control group. This wasn't the case for perpetrators under 18.
Restorative justice conferences have been available for sexual and family violence offences in the ACT since 2018. The Victorian Government has a restorative justice service for family violence, and the Victorian Law Reform Commission recommended expanding it to sexual violence in its 2021 Improving the Justice System Response to Sexual Offences report. We also recommended this in our submission to the VLRC back in 2020.
Other news
GV CASA has moved
Goulburn Valley CASA has relocated to the Shepparton Multidisciplinary Centre at 106-112 High St, Shepparton. Face-to-face services started up at the new location on Tuesday 28 January.
Hundreds of police officers investigated over alleged sexual offences
Hundreds of Victoria Police employees have faced investigations over alleged sexual and family violence offences between January 2019 and June 2024, according to figures obtained by the Herald Sun through a freedom of information request. The figures show that of the 683 staff investigated over such offences, 185 were investigated over alleged sexual assault or child sexual offences, while 269 were investigated over alleged predatory behaviour or sexual harassment, both on and off duty. 89 of the investigations were over "severe" family violence allegations.
The true number of investigations is likely far higher, as the documents provided to the Herald Sun only included investigations conducted by one unit of Victoria Police, and not local branches.
Follow SASVic for more updates.
Workforce training
Keep up to date with training and event opportunities for the sector by visiting the SASVic Training Page
Webinars and events
Please check with your manager before registering, where appropriate.
Safe Steps Candlelight Vigil
The Safe Steps Candlelight Vigil will take place on Wednesday 7 May 2025, National Family Violence Remembrance Day, led by survivors and advocates.
Date: Wednesday 7 May 2025
Time: 6 - 6.45pm
Location: Family Violence Memorial Gardens, East Melbourne
Resources and links
SASVic and member details
SASVic organisational structure with staff names and positions
Specialist Sexual Assault Sector Map
Here is a map that helps people find their local specialist sexual assault service.
National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence
SASVic is a member of the National Association of Services Against Sexual Assault (NASASV).
Acronyms
Here is a list of acronyms. Please let us know if you've discovered any more we should add.
FVSV Knowledge Hub
The Family Violence Sexual Violence Knowledge on is a one-stop shop for practitioners, program managers, policymakers and funders to access the latest research, resources, case studies, webinars and training opportunities.