Scroll down to see the compilation of resources already available online to use in educating and resourcing congregations about domestic violence. If you have other suggestions please email vcc[a]vcc.org.au.
It used to be one woman a week. But this year, 2024, an Australian woman is being violently killed every four days.
26 women had lost their lives to gendered violence by April 26; in 2024, at the same time, there had been 14 violent deaths of women in Australia (64 by 31 December 2023).
The rate at which men are allegedly killing Australian women is significantly higher than in recent years, prompting women’s safety leaders to call for urgent action.
Patty Kinnersly, chief executive of the national violence prevention organisation Our Watch, said the community was demanding an end to the killing.
“It is beyond devastating that another woman has been killed allegedly by men’s violence here in Victoria. We are looking at a shocking rate of violent deaths of women this year that exceeds anything Australia has experienced in recent years. The community, men and women, are demanding that this ends, and ends now.”
Tania Farha, chief executive of Victoria’s peak body for specialist family violence services, Safe and Equal, said:
the accelerated rate at which women were being killed by men was “a national crisis”.Respect Victoria acting chief executive Serina McDuff said more men than ever had begun recognising that violence against women “is a men’s issue”.
“Men who use violence aren’t monsters. They are our neighbours, our family members, our partners – and we must start treating this as a systemic problem, instead of seeing this as an issue caused by a few bad eggs”.
Prayer to End Domestic and Family Violence
Loving God,
We pray that all women and children will find a place and life free from violence, and children will be cared for in nurturing, protective and supportive ways.
We pray for young men that they may find models of respectful relationships, and reject the violent and demeaning images of manhood current in our society.
We ask for the courage to confront the causes of family violence, including the prevalence of violence in society, abuse of power and the unequal position of women in the community.
We pray for right and just relations between all people, so that together we may transform and overcome violence in all its forms.
We long for the time you have promised, when violence is banished, women and men are open to love and be loved, children are protected, and the work and wealth of our world is justly shared. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Source: CSSV)
RESOURCES
2024 publication Surviving God: A New Vision of God through the Eyes of Sexual Abuse Survivors – March 26, 2024
by Grace Ji-Sun Kim (Author), Susan M. Shaw (Foreword)
Who is God when we see God through the eyes of survivors?
Many books have dealt with sexual abuse scandals in the church and the role of pastoral care for survivors. Others have provided liberatory readings of biblical texts to support survivors of sexual violence. Surviving God takes a new approach, centering the voices of sexual abuse survivors while rethinking key Christian beliefs. Starting from experiences of oppression, beliefs that contribute to oppression are challenged, and new, hopeful, and healing beliefs take their place.
Groundbreaking theologians Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Susan M. Shaw, each a survivor herself, demonstrate how traditional ways of thinking about God are highly problematic, contribute to the problems of sexual abuse, and are not reflective of the God of love and justice at the heart of the gospel. These long-held theologies often perpetuate the problem of sexual abuse and fail to promote healing for survivors. Drawing from their own experiences and the experiences of other survivors, and centering the ways gender intersects with race, sexuality, class, and religion, Kim and Shaw lead us to deep healing and a transformed church that no longer contributes to the devastation of sexual abuse. In these inspiring pages, you will discover new ways of thinking about God that are surprising, challenging, and empowering.
Grace will be speaking about the book at an event in Melbourne on Friday 26th July at 10 am.
Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse (Australian Catholic Bishops Conference)
The roots of domestic and family violence “lie in the abuse of power to control and dominate others” and that “this stands in contrast to the relationships to which God calls us”. Our relationships should be “marked by equality and reciprocity rather than domination and violence, respect and freedom rather than coercion and control”.
ACBC Social Justice Statement 2022-23
Related article here. Excellent video here.
Shattering the Silence: Australians tell their stories of surviving domestic violence in the church (Julia Baird, Hayley Gleeson)
‘Shining A Light’: A collaborative project working to build capacity for a whole-of-Church response to domestic and family violence. A pilot program evaluation report. October 2023. Catholic Social Services Victoria and Catholic Diocese of Sale. (Article here, with an event featuring the Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence, Ms Vicki Ward MP)
Preventing and Responding to Family Violence: A Faith Leader’s Practice Guide and Toolkit’ by Manal Shehab (Sisters4Sisters Support Services) with support from WIRE and other famiy violence specialist organisations, including consultation with members from Victoria’s diverse faith communities.
(downloadable resource)
Key lessons from faith communities supporting healthy relationships: a participatory action research project with the Multifaith Advisory Group (October 2021). Downloadable PDF. The Project responded to recommendations 163 and 165 of the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence (State of Victoria, 2016) aiming to build the knowledge and capacity of faith leaders to prevent and respond to family violence and violence against women.
Preventing Violence Against Women (Anglican resource)
National Anglican Family Violence project
National Anglican Family Violence Research Report Top Line Results (April 2021) NCLS Research
Beyond Violence: A Resource on Family and Domestic Violence (Uniting Church National Assembly)
Resources:Family Violence (Uniting Church Vic/Tas Culture and Safety Unit)
Catholic Social Services Victoria (CSSV) has developed a resource kit for parishes in order to help them better respond to domestic and family violence. Download resources here.
Catholic Social Services Victoria (CSSV) poster here. ‘RECOGNISE, RESPOND, PREVENT DOMESTIC & FAMILY VIOLENCE’
ANU Faith-based communities’ responses to family and domestic violence report.
Holding the Light annual service
Article about Holding the Light service 2021
Article about Holding the Light service 2023
The 2024 Holding the Light service will be held on Thursday 28th November at 5pm at Wesley Uniting Church, Lonsdale St, Melbourne CBD
Common Grace – domestic and family violence
Common Grace: SAFER: A domestic violence resource for churches
Strong Foundations: Building on Victoria’s work to end family violence.