Friends With Dignity #steppingup to provide assistance to DV survivors in WA

Almost two in three assaults committed in Western Australia are due to domestic or family violence, making it the most concerning statistic in the nation.

A recent study taking data from over 20 sources reveals startling figures on the prevalence of abuse being carried out by family members and partners across the country with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report showing that Western Australia has amongst the highest proportion of assaults related to family or domestic violence nationwide.

Western Australia was second only to the Northern Territory in terms of the rate of domestic violence in 2016, with 792 victims of assault by a partner or family member per 100,000 people – and those reported represent only around 20 per cent of what's going on out there.

Social media has revolutionised the way nationwide domestic and family violence support charity, Friends With Dignity is addressing the needs of society’s most vulnerable by enabling the not-for-profit to connect with volunteers and supporters via Facebook, and collaborate with as many different services and organisations as possible to improve and extend their services to those who need it most.

Friends With Dignity is spreading its reach into Western Australia and across Australia with the aim of helping as many survivors of domestic and family abuse as possible.

With domestic violence estimated to cost the country upwards of $20 billion annually, it has become a hot topic for discussion relatively recently with many government initiatives and other bodies campaigning against and raising awareness of its severity, alarming commonplace and negative outcomes on individuals and the wider community. To properly address a problem of this magnitude, it must be tackled from many different fronts; it is not enough to simply be brought to people’s attention.

Exiting an abusive situation is just the beginning, with many getting out of unhealthy situations with nothing but the clothes on their backs. A safe and secure home is something that most of us take for granted so, among other projects, one major initiative of Friends With Dignity is the “Sanctuary” program, which utilises social media to appeal to thousands of everyday Australians to donate what they can to transform empty shells into homes for escapees of domestic abuse to start their journey free from violence, in a safe space, and with dignity.

“Without the power of the community, we could not achieve what we have,” said Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Friends with Dignity, Manuela Whitford, a clinical nurse who established the charity after witnessing desperate women getting themselves incarcerated in order to find a place of refuge.

Many women in the prison system are seeking refuge from violence happening within their homes - a place associated with safety, warmth and love. These women are committing crimes to escape.

Though victims are overwhelmingly female, with one in ten being under the age of 19 in Western Australia, this help is not limited to women and children, but extends to men and the LGBTIQ community too.

Domestic violence doesn’t discriminate by age, gender, culture, religion or economic background, so neither must the assistance available.

As of last year the National Domestic Violence Order Scheme saw restraining orders become automatically recognised and enforceable all around Australia, rather than on a State by State basis, also eliminating the need for court appearances by victims seeking assistance.

Victims need real support, both moral, physical and financial, in order to find the strength to put the detrimental situation or abuser behind them forever, and start completely afresh. Friends With Dignity endeavour to do just that with the belief that the cycle must be severed completely if survivors of abuse are to truly escape the situation they have found themselves in, especially where children are involved - witnesses of domestic abuse at such an impressionable age are six times more likely to commit suicide or may even continue on in life to become an abuser themselves.

Friends With Dignity work through their network of referring agencies to keep anonymity in order to ensure that their clients’ privacy is always protected. They do their part for victims of domestic violence with no judgement. Their only concern being to ensure that those in need feel that they have a friend in a time of turmoil, and to also feel that they are finally able to reclaim their dignity in order to leave toxic situations behind and move forward with lives free from violence and abuse for good.

Friends With Dignity is hosting its very first “High Tea With Friends” event in Western Australia this May in support of Domestic and Family Violence Awareness month. The event will be held at the Swan Yacht Club in East Fremantle on Sunday, the 6^th of May, 2018 at 12-3PM. Tickets are $69 each, and include a glass of bubbles on arrival, decadent high tea, powerful and motivating guest speakers, raffles and a whole lot of fun! Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.friendswithdignity.org.au/htwf

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