Family violence is prevalent in Australia in every community no matter what ethnic, socio-economic or religious background. We’re increasingly aware that coercive control can be an indicator of future physical violence or death. It’s essential that everyone:
- has the awareness of types of violence.
- knows to recognise it in their friends, family and colleagues.
- has the confidence to respond appropriately when it’s present.
“First Aid” is a frame of reference for the empowerment of non-specialist people on how to intervene and support the health and wellbeing of someone they know. The concept has been used to enable people in our community to skillfully intervene to preserve life, call for help and provide support whilst waiting for professional support.
This is a comprehensive evaluation report about the outcomes of the pilot course. The course aimed to identify whether participants increased:
- their understanding of the prevalence and drivers of family violence.
- the negative impact of gendered stereotypes in creating gender inequality.
- their understanding of how to be an active bystander in different settings.
The course also aimed to build participants’ confidence to stop disrespectful behaviour that led to family violence, their confidence to manage and appropriately respond to disclosures and to practice self-care.