Funding to help tackle teen home violence

TEENAGE family violence offenders will be supported to change their behaviour under a new government program.

The State Government today will announce a $1.35 million program across three sites, including Geelong, to expand and strengthen services to reduce adolescent violence in the home.

The Geelong program, aimed at 12-to-17-year-olds and their families, will be run through the newly announced Orange Door service by Barwon Child, Youth and Family.

BCYF chief executive officer Sandy Morrison said the new funding would allow for the expansion of current local programs and see the organisation work closely with other family violence services.

“BCYF welcomes the announcement from the Victorian Government that we will be receiving additional funding to expand the Adolescent Family Violence Program in Geelong, locally known as Step Up — Building Healthy Relationships,” Mr Morrison said.

“The program aims to reduce adolescent family violence and increase the safety of all impacted family members through the provision of a family-based, integrated model of case management support to young people using violence against a parent or carer.”

Mr Morrison said BCYF provided adolescent family violence support to 96 Barwon families in 2017 through case work and group work. Young people and their families selfrefer to the program.

Families and Children Minister Jenny Mikakos said the program was part of the government’s $2.6 billion investment to address family violence.

“It’s critical we intervene earlier when young people are vulnerable and at risk of continuing to use family violence into adulthood,” she said.