Published: 24 November 2016
Author: Stringer Clark

Stringer Clark says no to violence

Stringer Clark’s Warrnambool office is taking a stand to stop violence against women. 

Men and women lawyers and support staff will wear white ribbons this Friday 25 November in support of White Ribbon Day – a male-led campaign to end men’s violence against women.

White Ribbon Day calls for men across Australia to take an oath swearing to never commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women.

Shockingly, statistics show one in three women have experienced physical and or sexual violence perpetrated by someone known to them.

Why we all need to stand up to violence

On average, one woman is killed every week as a result of intimate partner violence, and domestic violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness for women and their children.

At Stringer Clark up to 40 per cent of the Victims of Crime Tribunal Matters that we see are domestic violence related.

This is why it’s so incredibly important to raise awareness about the issue and for the men in our community to help pave the way for change. 

How do we create the change?

There is a theory that if you want to create positive change, home is the best place to start. Importantly, we need to teach young boys to be respectful to the women in their lives so that this behaviour will carry into adulthood. It all starts with respect.

We need to change our way of thinking, and to stop excusing violent men while ensuring women are not blamed for attacks against them.

A recent TV, radio and print campaign highlighted this issue and discouraged the use of dismissive phrases such as "boys will be boys" and "he did it because he likes you".

The Luke Batty Foundation is doing some great work around the issue but there is still a lot more to be done and we all, as a community, need to play our part by showing our support and taking action when we can.

How can the law help?

This year we saw Australia’s first Royal Commission into Family Violence hand down it’s findings - with the Victorian Government pledging half a billion dollars to implement the commission’s recommendations.

At Stringer Clark we provide assistance to victims of domestic violence and help them be prepared when removing themselves from a toxic environment in a bid to rebuild their lives.

If a person has been a victim of family or domestic violence in Victoria they may be able to make an application with the Victims Assistance Tribunal. This scheme is not designed to provide compensation to victims, but rather to assist victims to get back on their feet. The Tribunal is able to provide much needed assistance for services such as counseling. 

For more information about assistance available to victims of crime visit our recent article: VOCAT available to crime victims.

 

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