IPSWICH will be one of 12 locations taking part in a national early intervention trial to support young men and boys at risk of engaging in family, domestic and sexual violence.

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.

Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth announced the program in Ipswich yesterday and visited the Domestic Violence Action Centre (DVAC) in Ipswich, which was selected as one of the sites to help deliver the trial.

Minister Rishworth said the services chosen for the trial were ones that were culturally safe and responsive, trauma and healing-informed, strengths-based and where support would 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 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.”

Member for Blair Shayne Neumann said he was pleased Ipswich’s DVAC was chosen as one of the sites to help deliver the trial.

“I’ve been working to tackle the scourge of domestic and family violence all of my working life, first as family lawyer and then as an MP, and I’m proud to have worked with DVAC here in Ipswich over many years,” Mr Neumann said.

“We all understand the importance of keeping women and children safe and that’s what this initiative is all about.

“It’s about early intervention to break the cycle and prevent future gender-based violence and that is a big focus of the current National Plan to End Violence against Women.”

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