FVREE is Victoria’s primary provider of specialist family violence services in the Eastern Metropolitan Region and has been supporting women and children responding to family violence for 30 years. Working within a feminist framework, we work across the continuum of family violence from prevention and early intervention to response and recovery to create change at the individual, community, and system levels.
We recognise the important role children and young people play in breaking the cycle of family violence. Through our Leaders for Change (L4C) program, we have equipped 80 children aged 9-12 years and 55 young people aged 15-25 with skills, confidence, and knowledge to mobilise their communities and create environments that promote positive, equal, and safe relationships. The 6–10-week program, has enabled participants to identify local issues and develop projects that aim to address family violence and disrespectful behaviours. Participants have created youth-focused social media campaigns, a poster series, advocated for policy changes within schools and coordinated events that aim to inspire more young people to be part of the solution.
Since 2019, we have delivered six iterations of the program and each time we have provided past graduates with the opportunity to shape and influence the next iteration. This has contributed to the success of the L4C model in engaging children and young people which has now been replicated across geographic locations, jurisdictions, cohorts, and age groups. For example, FVREE is working with an Aboriginal Organisation to tailor the model for First Nations youth and similarly a disability service.
Children and young people are capable of being agents of change, rather than simply agents to be changed. FVREE is committed to sharing learnings in recruitment, delivery, and evaluation and demonstrate how organisations can empower the leaders of tomorrow to end the cycle of family violence.