AVITH in Context
A series of interviews, webinars and presentations with professionals in various fields, exploring the different contexts and presenting issues that impact the young person using violence, and their family.
AVITH in Context: Young person IPV
Friday 28th April, 2023 10:00-11:30am
Join us as we investigate this important topic of young people using or at risk of using violence in intimate partner relationships. We will hear from researchers and practitioners about how we can might provide earlier support and interventions to young people who have experienced family violence, and ways we can engage with young people to promote positive and healthy attitudes about relationships.
AVITH in Context: Youth Homelessness
Thursday 6th April 2:00-3:30pm
For this discussion we are joined by panelists from Safe and Equal, Melbourne City Mission, The Bridge Youth Service, and the Name.Narrate.Navigate Program. We will hear about the presentations and needs of young people accessing homelessness and housing support services and some innovative ways of engaging and working with these young people.
AVITH in Context: Mental Health
Friday 10th February 2023 11am-12pm
In this webinar, we heard from Dr Michelle Kehoe, Evaluation and Research Development Officer with Alfred Health (headspace and the Child and Youth Mental Health Service). Michelle spoke about the complexities of AVITH within the context of mental health, and outlined some of the services and supports that practitioners can access.
Safe and effective engagement with young people experiencing family violence
Dr Heidi Saunders (Senior Practitioner, Carinity Talera, Brisbane) speaks on the importance of safe and effective engagement with young people in the context of domestic and family violence (DFV).
Understanding the lived experience of young people who use violence in the home
In this webinar we hear from Dr Kate Fitz-Gibbon and Dr Silke Meyer, who present findings from their latest ANROWS-funded research, ‘Adolescent family violence in Australia: A national study of, prevalence use of and exposure to violence, and support needs for young people who use family violence’.
Read the factsheet here.
Responding to problematic and harmful sexual behaviours in young people
Children or young people using harmful sexual behaviours require specialised therapeutic support.
We spoke with representatives from the Victorian Harmful Sexual Behaviour Network, who highlighted the issues and needs relating to young people using these behaviours, and provided an overview of the SABTS (Sexually Abusive Behaviour Treatment Services) programs in Victoria.
Working with children and young people who have experienced relational trauma
In this webinar, Larisa Freiverts (Team Leader and Senior Family Therapist – Meridian Youth and Family Therapy Team, Anglicare) explains attachment, neglect, the impacts of trauma on the autonomic nervous system, polyvagal theory, and creating safety within the therapeutic relationship.
The mental health and mental health service utilisation of young people that engage in violence in the home
We hear from Maddison Riachi, who is a current Doctoral Candidate completing her Doctor of Psychology (Clinical and Forensic) at Swinburne University and The Centre of Forensic Behavioural Science. Maddison has recently completed research investigating the topic of mental health and mental health service utilisation of young people whose use of violence has brought them to the attention of Victoria Police.
We’re then joined by our panel of Specialist Family Violence Advisors in Mental Health to discuss access to mental health support services, identifying AVITH and working holistically.
Building a framework to prevent and respond to young people with disability who use violence at home
Dr Georgina Sutherland and Dr Mediya Rangi provides an overview of this ANROWS-funded project, which aims to build a better understanding of individual, relationship, community context and sociocultural factors relevant for understanding young people with disability who use violence at home.
Supporting parents/carers with safe gaming
Mandy Buchholtz from Uniting’s Recoded program discusses practical tips and strategies that can help families to implement safe gaming behaviours at home.
View the presentation slides here
Other Resources:
Legal support for young people
In this webinar, we heard from practitioners from Victoria’s community legal centre for young people, Youthlaw to discuss their Pre-Court AVITH Program and their model of integrated practice.
Towards collaborative service
Elena Campbell, Associate Director at the Centre for Innovative Justice (CIJ) speaks about research currently underway: the WRAP Around project.
Police Responses
In this interview, Jane Phillips from the Centre interviews Assistant Commissioner Dean McWhirter (Family Violence Command, Victoria Police) about responding to adolescent violence in the home.
The Family Violence Command is the first of its kind in any policing jurisdiction in Australia. In this interview with Centre staff, Assistant Commissioner Dean McWhirter addresses practical issues faced when responding to young people using violence in the home, and addresses how service sectors might work together to intervene earlier.
New opportunities in the education system to support adolescents using family violence
Malia Dewse & Tania Last, Department of Education and Training (DET) present on earlier identification and improved intervention.
Knowing that they hurt their mum is really hard: Preliminary themes from young people using AVITH
Dave Burck is the co-facilitator/co-author of the ReNew program in Qld. His presentation brings young people’s voices to the forefront of this discussion, with adolescents describing their lived experience of adolescent-to-mother violence in their own words.
When disability is a factor in adolescent behaviour
Karen Dimmock is the CEO of the Association for Children with Disability (ACD). Karen’s presentation explores: Behaviour as communication; Experience of families; Intersection of disability, mental health, family violence and mental health of mothers; What works to promote positive behaviour and more.
The experiences of young people and mothers affected by adolescent and intimate partner violence in the home
Dr Kate Fitz-Gibbon presents on the complex needs and experiences of young people who use family violence in the home. Associate Professor Silke Meyer presents on the experiences of young people growing up with and displaying family violence: exploring the need for holistic and trauma informed responses.
Legal responses to adolescent violence in the home – doing more harm than good?
The Centre for Innovative Justice’s PIPA Project examines the legal responses to adolescents using violence in the home across three Australian jurisdictions.
Addressing adolescent family violence during involvement with Youth Justice
Dr Kyra Low is a Forensic Psychologist and the Manager of Youth Rehabilitation Programs at Justice Health, Department of Justice and Community Safety. Kyra highlights the current Youth Justice response for adolescent offenders who use family violence, some of the challenges experienced by Youth Justice and service providers in responding to these young people, and strategies to address these challenges.
Centring the child’s experience in counselling ‘post’ family violence
Kirsten Meyer from Women’s Health West discusses using Creative Therapy with 0-17 year olds, in the wake of having experienced family violence.
