With more than 40 per cent of our country's young people under the age of 16 being exposed to family and domestic violence[1], Safe Steps will today launch Unanswered Calls – a short documentary that highlights the plight of this group of vulnerable Australians.
In Unanswered Calls, two young people bravely share their lived experience of family and domestic violence. Their stories are accompanied by insights and commentary from leading industry experts and community safety champions, including:
- Family violence prevention advocate, Rosie Batty AO
- Commissioner for Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, Micaela Cronin
- Victoria's Principal Commissioner for Children and Young People, Liana Buchanan.
Unanswered Calls will premiere on Wednesday 19 February 2025 (5:30pm to 8pm) at The Capitol theatre in Melbourne. The event will be co-hosted by Safe Steps CEO Dr Chelsea Tobin, Commissioner Micaela Cronin, and Principal Commissioner Liana Buchanan. It will also be shown in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide next month, with Perth to follow.
Dr Tobin said that this is not just a film – it's a wake-up call needing to be urgently answered.
"It's more than 10 years since the murder of Luke Batty shocked the nation. This documentary highlights how we have built response systems for adults experiencing family violence, but not children," Dr Tobin said.
"Our system still largely views children as extensions of their protective parent in family violence situations, and young Australians are telling us it's unclear where to find support that's relevant to them.
"Young people are in critical stages of cognitive, emotional and social development, making them particularly vulnerable to the effects of trauma. If not addressed, this can become intergenerational trauma.
"We need to actively support them so they can have a life free from violence and know that fear is not love.
"We need dedicated national services for youth, to ensure they have somewhere to turn to escape family violence. We need to ensure their voices are heard."
Safe Steps is calling for a dedicated, national response that works with young people to co-design a future where they have the supports they need, at the time and in the places they need it – particularly on the digital platforms they use.
In the documentary, one young person explains: "I also needed someone to sit me down and tell me I wasn't the problem, because throughout my whole experience, that's all I've ever felt, that I was the problem."
Safe Steps is Victoria's only 24/7 family violence crisis response service, delivering support and pathways to safety for people experiencing domestic and family violence in the state. Safe Steps provides information, safety planning and risk assessment, and access to crisis accommodation. It also delivers part of the national 1800 RESPECT support service. Safe Steps makes and takes over 130,000 calls every year – which can be up to 400 calls a day – to assist people fleeing family or domestic violence. Last year, Safe Steps provided 33,000 nights of secure accommodation for people who were not safe to go home.
