The Free from Violence Second Action Plan (2022–2025) marks the mid-point of Victoria’s 10-year plan to break the cycle of family violence and violence against women in the places Victorians live, work, learn and play. The plan represents a partnership between the Victorian Government and Respect Victoria – the statutory authority dedicated to the primary prevention of all forms of family violence - to work with the broader family violence sector and the community to end family violence.
Download the Second Action Plan:
Download a summary of priorities under the Second Action Plan:
Our priorities
The Second Action Plan has 10 key priorities that will guide our primary prevention work over the next three years.
What we will do to prevent family violence and all forms of violence against women:
- Test new and innovative approaches
- Tailored approaches for diverse community groups
- Aboriginal-led prevention
- Key settings
- Community engagement and awareness
- Partnerships and advocacy.
How we will create an enabling environment:
- Governance, coordination and system development
- Workforce and sector development
- Build knowledge
- Monitor and share outcomes.
Stopping violence against women before it starts
Neither family nor gendered violence exists in a vacuum. Research shows that gender inequality sets the underlying context for violence against women, where women and men do not have equal social status, power, resources or opportunities, and their voices, ideas and work are not valued equally by society. Primary prevention is how we stop violence before it starts – this forms a key part of the Victorian Government’s family violence reform agenda.
The Second Action Plan is the second phase of Free from Violence, Victoria’s strategy to prevent family violence and all forms of violence against women, by preventing violence before it starts.
The plan reinforces the reform-wide priorities established under the Family Violence Rolling Action Plan 2020–2023, including Aboriginal self-determination, intersectionality and lived experience. It includes a commitment to self-determination and supporting Aboriginal-led organisations to design and deliver primary prevention initiatives for their own communities. It also places the lived experience of those who have experienced violence front and centre of policy and program design and implementation, and seeks to better understand the complexity and intersectionality of the drivers of violence.
Hear directly from Victim Survivor Advisory Council (VSAC) member, Grace Donato, about the importance of this work, in the following video.
Moving into the second phase of Free from violence
The Second Action Plan builds on key achievements of the First Action Plan, including:
- the establishment of Respect Victoria
- implementing Respectful Relationships in all government schools
- developing research into the drivers of family violence and what works to prevent it, including violence against women with disability, LGBTIQ+ people and elder abuse, and how to engage men and boys in prevention efforts
- investing in innovative prevention initiatives led by diverse communities, including Aboriginal-led organisations, multicultural and faith-based organisations and other community groups.
The following videos are two examples of the innovative work our partners are doing in different parts of the community to prevent family violence:
Baby Makes 3 – healthAbility
The Men’s Project – Jesuit Social Services
Pride in Prevention evidence guide - Rainbow Health Australia
Our Second Action Plan marks the halfway point in our effort to strengthen Victoria’s primary prevention system. It provides the foundation for new work, including to address sexual violence, work towards affirmative consent, and equip more Victorians to speak up and take action when they witness disrespect for and violence against women. The plan’s priorities include building knowledge and community engagement and awareness, such as through Respect Victoria’s research alliance, ‘Call it Out’ and other new campaigns focused on the experiences of young people, Aboriginal Victorians and people with a disability.
Family violence services and support
If you have experienced violence or sexual assault and need immediate or ongoing assistance, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) to talk to a counsellor from the National Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence hotline. For confidential support and information, contact Safe Steps’ 24/7 family violence response line on 1800 015 188. If you are concerned for your safety or that of someone else, please contact the police in your state or territory, or call Triple Zero (000) for emergency help.
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