Australia has some of the strongest guidelines regarding how we represent and discuss suicide and mental illness but not domestic violence. More recently, guidelines were promoted to encourage a slow uptake of a similar approach to the reporting and discussion of substance use, but where does the safe language guidelines for the discussion and representation of domestic violence sit? How can we collaboratively create safer language guidelines to reduce the impacts of continual trauma on victims, their loved ones as well as the general public while still ensuring people are motivated to do something about domestic violence?

In this workshop, Peta Dampney will guide participants through some strategies for creating safe and trauma informed conversations and discussions about domestic violence. Peta will share insights from her vast experience working with those who have a lived experience of suicide and mental illness to demonstrate how important language and appropriate terminology is to an individual's recovery and continued mental safety. Participants will look at case studies from her work in promoting safe and compassionate language in suicide prevention and mental health to see how similar measures could be adopted by those working with or supporting those impacted by domestic violence.

The key take away for participants attending this workshop will be the opportunity to share and hear insights from others as to the complexities of language and terminology surrounding domestic violence. Participants will come together to create a glossary of safer language and terms that they can adapt to their own working and caring environments. These glossaries will then provide each participant a starting point from which they can then continue the important conversation about the representation of domestic violence.

Participants will leave this workshop feeling far better equipped to communicate about domestic violence with influence and compassion to bring about change.