3 months ago
19
A new domestic violence campaign aims to capitalise on the Ashes’ male-dominated audience to call on perpetrators to refer themselves to a specialist men’s counselling and behaviour change service.
The campaign, to run throughout the cricket season, will use radio and broadcast advertising to promote the Men’s Referral Service.
The service, a confidential counselling and referral program operated by No to Violence, helps men take responsibility for their actions and change violent behaviour.
Spectators arrive at the Gabba on Thursday for the second Ashes Test.Credit: Getty Images
Federal Labor MP Renee Coffey said the Test match was the perfect platform to launch the campaign and address domestic and family violence.
Loading
“Major sporting events are a time when people come together, celebrate, and spend time with their family and time with their friends,” she said.
“It’s also a time that we see a spike in gender-based violence.”
About one in three Australian men admit to using intimate partner violence, Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said, with an estimated 10,000 men reaching out to the Men’s Referral Service in the past financial year.
“Those 10,000 men took a really important first step to rebuild and improve their relationships with their partners [and] their kids,” Plibersek said.
“We know that men can change their use of violence if they get the help they need.”
No to Violence chief executive Phillip Ripper said the cricketing community, including the Australian cricket team, supported the initiative.
“Sport has enormous cultural influence in Australia, and cricket in particular has broad appeal to men across cultures, ages, communities and social backgrounds,” he said.
“We’re seeing all codes of sport really starting to take significant interest in family violence.
“They know this is an issue that affects the community, and we’re really pleased to see so many sporting organisations step up and start talking about how they play a part.”
Loading
Last year, the Brisbane Lions partnered with local domestic and family violence charity Beyond DV to call out violence against women, joining a national campaign led by the chief justice of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, Will Alstergren.
“Men can lead the change for other men and pave the way forward to a positive and accountable future,” Alstergren said last year.
As part of his campaign, Alstergren recruited well-known Australian figures, including actors Hugh Jackman and Eric Bana, cricketer Usman Khawaja, and former NRL player Johnathan Thurston, to record anti-violence messages targeting young men and boys that were later used in a video production.
Ahead of the holiday season, a time when family violence can escalate, Plibersek said it was important for men who use violence to have a service to turn to.
“As a nation, we need to invest in behaviour change programs that work to help [perpetrators] change their violent or controlling behaviour,” she said.
“That’s how we keep women and children safe.”
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Most Viewed in National
Loading
