Early intervention for adolescent young men and boys to end gender-based violence

Young men and boys at risk of engaging in family, domestic and sexual violence will be supported through the establishment of a national early intervention trial.

The Albanese Labor Government is committing more than $23 million over three years to 2026-27 to 12 organisations across states and territories for the trial.

Organisations will be tasked with creating a new early intervention program for young men and boys aged 12 to 18 years who present with adverse childhood experiences, including family and domestic violence, and who are using or at risk of using family, domestic or sexual violence.

Eligible young men and boys will receive counselling and therapeutic support to:

• Assist with their recovery and healing from their experiences of family and domestic violence;
• Help them avoid choosing to use family, domestic and sexual violence; and
• Build the evidence base on effective approaches to supporting young men and boys.

Supports will include one-on-one counselling, case management and youth mentoring along with personalised safety plans and assessments.

Services have been chosen that are culturally safe and responsive, trauma and healing-informed, strengths-based and support will be tailored to the individual needs and circumstances of participants.

The 12 current sites include a mix of metropolitan, regional, and remote locations. Additional trial sites are expected to be announced in early 2025.

Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth will today visit the Domestic Violence Action Centre in Ipswich, who have been chosen as one of the sites to help deliver the trial.

Minister Rishworth said the funding would help provide crucial support for boys and young men to recover and heal from their experiences of violence and stop the risk of harm escalating and continuing into their adult relationships.

"Early intervention is a key area of focus under the National Plan to End Violence against Women 2022-2032," Minister Rishworth said.

"Supporting children and young people as victim-survivors in their own right and addressing the impacts of developmental trauma to help healing and recovery will help break future cycles of violence.

"We know in order to achieve our shared goal of ending violence against women and children in one generation we need to be working across all four domains of the National Plan.

"There are currently only limited and inconsistent services available across Australia that specifically support children and young people who have experienced violence and are themselves using or at risk of using violence and this trial will help address this gap."

More information on the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 is available on the Department of Social Services website.

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family, or sexual violence, call 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au for online chat and video call services.

If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men's Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit www.ntv.org.au .

Feeling worried or no good? Connect with 13YARN Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporters on 13 92 76, available 24/7 from any mobile or pay phone, or visit www.13yarn.org.au. No shame, no judgement, safe place to yarn.

Kids Helpline (1800 551 800) is a free, confidential online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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