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.
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Budget update: funding extended, and a new program for our sector
All specialist sexual assault and harmful sexual behaviour funding scheduled to lapse at the end of this financial year has been extended, with $27 million over two years allocated to our sector at this week's state budget.
The budget also included a surprise announcement of $7.4 million for a new "Safe Socials Program," a partnership between the Department of Education and SASVic to respond to harmful sexual behaviour in schools. Of this, over half will resource SASVic members to connect with schools and provide:
- a direct response to the victim survivor
- a direct response to the children and young people using HSB and their parents
- secondary consultations.
The remaining funds will sit with the department.
This win is a direct result of your advocacy and you sharing your expertise with us. The stories you've shared about the increasing numbers of calls from survivors, families, teachers and principals about tech-facilitated sexual violence has had a real impact.
The funding will start in January 2026.
Help survivors have their say on Justice Navigators (and have yours too)
It's time for the specialist sexual assault sector and survivors to have their say on our Justice Navigators Pilot! We'll be holding several consultation sessions in June.
Sector consultation:
On Wednesday, 11 June there will be an online consultation sessions for counsellor advocates and others from the sector from 9:15am - 11:15am.
There will be two consultation sessions for survivors in late June, one in person at the SASVic office in Melbourne, and one online. Survivors will receive a $150 voucher in recognition of their time and expertise.
In person consultation:
Date: Tuesday, 24 June
Time: 11:30am - 1:30pm
Address: Level 1, 351 Elizabeth St Melbourne
Lunch will be provided.
Online consultation:
Date: Thursday, 26 June
Time: 10am - 12pm
Location: Microsoft Teams.
To attend any of these sessions, please RSVP to justice.navigators@sasvic.org.au. Interested survivors are also welcome to email justice.navigators@sasvic.org.au to schedule a one-on-one phone call or suggest another way of providing their input.
To help us spread the word about these consultation sessions, please share our flyer linked below.
Advocacy & evidence
Please send any questions you have about our work in this area to amy.webster@sasvic.org.au
How CSA in Australia compares to the rest of the world
Girls in Australia and New Zealand may experience some of the highest rates of child sexual abuse in the world, according to a new global analysis by researchers at the University of Washington. The researchers estimate that almost one in three Australian women (27.8 per cent) have experienced sexual violence before they were 18, a staggering 47 per cent higher than the global average of 18.9 per cent. Australia has the third highest estimated prevalence among high-income countries in the study, with only New Zealand and the Netherlands (28.8 per cent and 29.7 per cent respectively) faring worse.
Australian boys are also estimated to experience higher rates of sexual violence than the global average (16.9 per cent compared to 14.8 per cent), though the difference is not as stark as with girls.
The researchers caution "it is difficult to disentangle whether measured differences are due to true differences in prevalence or are instead driven by differential disclosure."
Article: The ‘therapeutic’ system where kids fall prey to child sex abusers and children
An ABC investigation has put child sexual abuse and exploitation in residential care into the spotlight once again. In 'The 'therapeutic' system where kids fall prey to child sex abusers,' journalist Katri Uibu tells the stories of Saachi and Ebony, both survivors, and "Emily," a young person currently experiencing sexual exploitation in residential care. Uibu's investigation also highlights the systemic failures of government departments to protect these children, with a particular focus on Victoria and Queensland.
This prompted the National Children's Commissioner, Anne Hollonds, to call for an inquiry on why governments aren't acting on decades of evidence from previous reports and inquiries. The Queensland Government has since announced an inquiry into its state child safety system.
Highlights from the ANROWS Conference
Last week, SASVic's Senior Research and Knowledge Translation Officer, Dr Monica Campo, attended this year's ANROWS conference (Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety).
The conference centered children and young peoples' experiences, emphasising the need to not just listen to their experiences, but embed children and young peoples' perspectives within policy, evidence, practice, and system change. Survivor advocates featured throughout the two days of presentations, workshops, and panel discussions, with a strong focus on what works in practice.
A stand out was a presentation from survivor advocate Sonia Orchard, who discussed her experience of being groomed as teenager, highlighting the lack of understanding about grooming from mainstream services and the justice system.
Dr Gemma Mckibbon’s presentation discussed a new program at Jesuit Social Services addressing young peoples' harmful sexual behaviours and pornography use. The research project, co-designed with children and young people, is an online early intervention for children and young people. As part of the project, Dr Mckibbon undertook research with children and young people on their pornography use. She emphasised the need for structural and systemic accountability by tech platforms.
Prevention
Please send any questions you have about our work in this area to jaeme.opie@sasvic.org.au
Our Watch publishes new Respectful Relationships Education Blueprint
Amidst growing alarm about gender-based violence in schools, Our Watch is calling on governments to fund a 'whole-of-school' approach to Respectful Relationships Education (RRE) - an approach that goes beyond one-off programs or a few classroom lessons. The national prevention organisation released a new RRE Blueprint earlier this week to guide policy makers, the RRE workforce and other stakeholders on how to design, implement, coordinate and monitor RRE.
The Blueprint also includes some key facts on young peoples' experience of sexual harassment and tech-facilitated sexual violence.
Dating app facilitated sexual violence in the news
Several cases of dating app and social media facilitated sexual violence featured in the news this fortnight, highlighting the need for stronger regulation on these big tech companies.
On 9 May, we learned another 22 people had been arrested over a wave of dating app facilitated attacks on gay men. This brings the total arrests by Victoria Police to 35 in eight months. The perpetrators are allegedly using fake profiles on Grindr and other apps to "lure" gay men into being assaulted, robbed, threatened or kidnapped. In his response to the arrests, Joe Ball, the Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities, said he and Vicki Ward, the Minister for Equality, were looking forward to exploring a "community reporting tool" to help track and respond to anti-LGBTIQA+ violence.
The following week, The Guardian published the story of an 11-year-old girl who was sexually abused by a stranger she added on Snapchat using the app's 'Quick Add' feature.
Then, on 18 May, a 60 Minutes segment described dating apps as "a virtual hunting ground," telling the stories of three survivors who were sexually assaulted by men they'd met on Bumble, Snapchat and other apps. The segment included interviews with two forensic medical specialists who gave insights on the distinct harms of this type of sexual violence and criticised the voluntary dating app code.
SASVic will continue advocating for dating apps to be held accountable through strong, binding regulation.
Legal policy
Please send any questions you have about our work in this area to jacqueline.bell@sasvic.org.au
Update on the Vicarious Liability Bill
The Legalise Cannabis Party's Wrongs Amendment (Vicarious Liability) Bill was debated in state parliament last Wednesday, 14 May. Though the Victorian Government did not support the Bill, Legalise Cannabis wrote in an email to its supporters "one thing was clear from [the debate] - everyone agrees victim survivors of institutional child abuse deserve access to justice, regardless of whether their perpetrator was an employee." The minor party also told supporters the Attorney-General had promised to advance work on reforming the law and lobby for a national approach.
The debate was adjourned "to give the government a chance to do the right thing."
The Vicarious Liability Bill aimed to address a 2024 High Court decision that effectively freed the Catholic Church from vicarious liability for child sexual abuse committed by priests before 2018.
Other news
New report estimates 230 million women and girls are affected by FGM/C worldwide
A new report by End FGM Europe Network collates the latest research on the global prevalence of female genital mutilation/ cutting (FGM/C), revealing at least 230 million women and girls are estimated to be affected by the practice worldwide. That's a 15 per cent increase since 2020, when it was estimated to affect 200 million women and girls. In Australia, we have an estimated 53,088 survivors of FGM/C, based on data from 2019.
Interspersed with powerful testimonies from survivors across the globe, End FGM Europe Network's report includes an analysis of legal and resource gaps, an exploration of the rising backlash against anti-FGM/C laws, and recommendations for policy makers and civil society organisations.
SASVic had the opportunity to visit End FGM Europe Network as part of last year's study tour, and we're pleased to share their important work.
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.