CONTENT WARNING: This article talks about violence against women.

Victim-survivors of family, sexual and domestic violence: We need to learn from you…

The Plug-in, COTA SA, has partnered with Office for Women to focus on engagement with South Australian women aged 50 years and older, community organisations, and service providers in the context of family, domestic and sexual violence.

In this project, we aim to understand lived experiences of older women who are victim-survivors, how current services and resources intersect with elder abuse strategies, barriers that inhibit older women accessing services, and pathways to supports.

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Research outcomes will provide evidence for policy development and future investment, and a co-designed information resources that raises awareness of the unique experiences of older women and how the can best be supported within community and existing services.

Stage 2 of this project is open for registration

Stage 1 – Literature Review (Complete)

In the first stage of this project, The Plug-in undertook a literature review to understand existing research and prevalence of family, sexual and domestic violence in South Australia, barriers to accessing support services, and ways to support identification of those at risk.

A copy of this report was provided to the project’s Steering Committee in January 2024.

Stage 2 – Stakeholder Engagement

The Plug-in will be holding workshops with service providers, including from violence response services, financial and legal supports, and emergency response, to better understand:

  • How these services support women aged 50 and over to seek support
  • Any potential service gaps or improvements that are needed in service response for older women

We have a list of organisations who provide support services, but please register your interest in this project if you as an individual or organisation would like to be included in this stage of engagement.

Stage 2 of this project is open for registration

Stage 3 – Community Engagement (a survey will be available soon)

Survey

The Plug-in invites you to take part in a survey to find out more about what the community already knows about this issue, your thoughts and feelings on this topic, as well as the best ways to communicate with you and others about violence against older women.

Everyone in the community is welcome to participate in the survey! We want to hear from as many people in the community as possible to ensure we collect a broad range of viewpoints.

More details on the survey content will be available in the coming months.

Interviews

We also want to hear from victim-survivors to help raise your voices in our research and awareness-raising efforts. A select group of women aged 50+ with a lived experience of family, sexual and/or domestic violence will also be invited to take part in interviews to share their stories.

If this is you and you feel comfortable to share your experiences with one of our friendly researchers, please register your interest in this project by following the link below.

We are yet to conduct our community research, but we would like to hear from you if you are interested in being involved in any stage.

Register general interest in this research

If this article has raised concerns for you, we encourage you to seek support.
In an emergency, dial 000

  • 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – 24-hour national sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line
  • Domestic Violence Crisis Line (SA) (1800 800 098) – crisis counselling, support and referral to safe accommodation
  • Elder Abuse Help Line (1300 651 192) – information and support for people experiencing or witnessing abuse of an older person
  • Adult Safeguarding Unit (SA) (1800 372 310) – Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, support line for free confidential advice, information or to make a report of abuse
  • Child Abuse Report Line – 13 14 78
  • 13 Yarn (13 92 76) – crisis support line for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander mob feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping
  • Nunga Mi:Minar Domestic and family violence support for First Nations women – 1800 003 308, 8367 6474
  • Migrant Women’s Support Program Domestic and family violence support for culturally and linguistically diverse women – 8152 9260
  • MensLine Australia (1300 789 978) – 24-hour support for men dealing with family violence and relationship difficulties
  • No to Violence Men’s Referral Service (1300 766 491) – support for men who use violence
  • Lifeline (13 11 14) – support line for those experiencing personal crisis
  • SA Yarrow Place Rape & Sexual Assault Service – 1800 817 421
  • Another Closet Domestic and family violence support for the LGBTIQA+ community – 1800 65 64 63
  • Safe Pets Safe Families SA (foster/crisis intake pet service) – 0490 818 879

Through your participation and contribution, you are raising the voices of older people and supporting the important work of COTA SA.

You can contact The Plug-in anytime to learn more about this project and other opportunities:

08 8224 5526
email to: connect@theplugin.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/ThePluginAus