What is happening?

Frankston City Council is developing a plan for how we can all work together to prevent and reduce the likelihood of family violence. Family violence includes domestic and partner violence and is experienced by all ages, genders, income levels and cultures.

Your feedback will help us plan actions that individuals, community groups and Council can take to prevent family violence before it starts. Working together as a community to treat one another with kindness, respect and equality creates safe and positive relationships.

Engagement was open from 1 November to 5pm 12 December 2023. Thank you for participating. Please follow this page to be notified of updates.

Engagement overview

• Community engagement was open on Engage Frankston from 1 November 2023 to 5pm 12 December 2023.
• There were 110 responses to the community survey.

What best describes your gender?

What suburb do you live in?

Tick any of the following that you identify with or apply to you

Please rate your understanding of family violence.

As a community member, what actions are you confident you could take?

What information material would help you start a conversation about respectful relationships and staying safe at home?

How do you think the community can be involved in stopping violence against women and children?

A selection of community comments:

• "Speaking up about the issues."
• "Provide men with an opportunity to role model respectful behaviour."
• "Say something if you see that something nasty is happening."
• "Let’s just walk around with open eyes and have the courage to report."
• "Listen to people more."
• "Giving names of groups that may help."
• "By understanding that violence is the result of disrespect, and a power imbalance in relationships."
• "Looking out for each other. Assist where possible."
• "Local businesses, community groups and sport & recreation clubs can be trained in By/Up stander training"
• "Expressing public opinions that decry violence in any form"
• "Young people teaching other young people about respectful relationships. My teenagers don't want to hear it from people their parents' age."

What would you like to see Council doing to help stop family violence before it starts?

What else would you like to see Council doing?

A selection of community comments:

• "Promoting education in schools by linking in with government"
• "Keep supporting services such as Orange Door and phone lines."
• "More social media post in regards to the topic in order to attract more age groups and more people."
• "Funding local community organisations to deliver primary prevention programs ( 3-5 yrs) and measure the impact"
• "local directory for contact numbers if people need help or need to report"
• "Advocating for resources to provide safe accommodation for people who flee their family home due to FV."
• "Be proactive and don’t listen to negative comments."
• "Speaking openly and frequently about the Council’s own gender equity actions"
• "Frequent training and courses on mental health support."
• "providing training to community groups to recognise potential unsafe relationships"

How important is it for Council to play a role in preventing family violence?

Engagement Overview

• Engage Frankston was open for feedback from 1 November to 5pm 12 December
• There were 21 responses from Service Providers or Community Groups

Please select the organisation or group you represent to continue.

Of the following groups, where should Council direct family violence prevention programs to have the greatest impact?

A selection of comments about where Council should direct family violence prevention programs to have the greatest impact:

• "Research shows the early years is the time to talk about respectful behaviour and relationships with people."
• "This is a significant time of change for parents and their relationship, unhealthy behaviours can present, important to provide parents with tools to have respectful conversations and support parents to talk about division of labour etc."
  
• "Young people are at greater risk of experiencing unhealthy relationships, sexual assault and harassment with a lack of experience and confidence in navigating relationships, greater vulnerability, influence of poor modelling and exposure to porn."
  
• "Women are at significantly higher risk of family violence. Providing them tools/resources to identify, mitigate, escape is vital."
  
• "Promoting healthy masculinities and reducing outdated stereotypes is critical to prevention, enabling men to identify and respond to toxic or inappropriate behaviour is critical to re-shape and model for younger men and reduce suicide risk."
  
• "Because elder abuse is becoming more prevalent particularly with an ageing population."
  
• "Many people with disabilities are unable to speak for themselves and tell others what their needs and expectations are. This cohort is vulnerable to all kinds of abuse."
  
• "People within the LGBTIQA+ community experience disproportionate rates of violence and often the services available are not LGBTQIA+ inclusive leaving this cohort with very little support."
  

Which settings are most likely to benefit from running or promoting prevention programs?

A selection of comments about settings most likely to benefit from running or promoting prevention programs.

• "Neighbourhood centres often have complementary programs and established networks that Council can tap into to further reach and effectiveness of programs."
• "Early intervention for fathers who might be accessing these settings. Opportunity to discuss red flags, difference between a bad relationship and a family violence situation." (Supported playgroups)
• "Young people independently attend with peers, creates a safe space for conversations and provides an ability to casually model and deliver health promoting messages." (Youth spaces)
• "Community events are great way to connect with members of the community and also creates opportunities for feedback and ideas. It also enables community members to meet Council Officers and create familiarity."
• "Community organisations often work with people over time and have good opportunities to screen for FV at different points in time and take appropriate steps (eg. referral)"
• "Sports clubs have a significant reach into the community, they involve families, children and young people. Traditionally sports clubs have been male dominated perpetuating outdated gender norms."
• "Makes it fun and health and well being focused." (health and sporting facilities)
• "During times of disaster and recovery incidence of FV increase, greater support is required to prevent increased risk"

We want to understand how local services and groups could partner with us to prevent family violence in our community. Please select any ideas that your group or organisation might be interested in being a part of.

See the final Family Prevention Action Plan below, including actions Council has committed to take from 2024 to 2028.