Current initiatives addressing sexual violence
We are working to prevent and address sexual violence, guided by Prevent. Support. Believe. Queensland’s framework to address sexual violence and the Domestic and family violence prevention strategy 2016–2026.
The Queensland Government’s current priority actions relating to sexual violence prevention and response are outlined in the Prevent. Support. Believe. Queensland's framework to address sexual violence—Action plan 2021–22 (PDF) (or DOCX) (the action plan).
Key new and continuing initiatives in the action plan include:
- reviewing the Respectful Relationships Education Program to strengthen understandings of consent, help-seeking strategies, the drivers of gender-based violence and reporting of sexual assault and harm
- supporting implementation of the recommendations of the Respect@Work report as relevant to the Queensland jurisdiction
- continuing to increase the number of clinicians trained to provide clinical forensic examinations to people who have experienced sexual assault
- implementing the Queensland Police Service sexual violence liaison officer model state-wide
- through the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce, undertaking a comprehensive review of women’s experience in the criminal justice system, including the experience of women as victim-survivors of sexual offences.
Significant achievements in 2019–2021 across government include:
- supporting the multi-agency Townsville Sexual Assault Response Team (SART)
- passing legislative amendments to strengthen the accountability of organisations and individuals in preventing and responding to child sexual abuse, in response to recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
- enhancing respectful relationships education all Queensland state schools by:
- developing resources and online modules to support a whole-of-school approach to respectful relationships education
- updating resources to support schools with identifying
- introducing ‘just-in-case’ forensic examinations for victims of sexual assault, whether or not they have decided to report the assault to police
- addressing barriers to reporting sexual assault to the Queensland Police Service and strengthening a victim-centric focus.
In 2020, over $113,000 in one-off grant funding was awarded to a diverse range of community groups and/or organisations to undertake activities to prevent sexual violence in Queensland communities through the Sexual Violence Prevention Grants Program. Find out more information about the grants and recipients.
Sexual violence prevention activities are now supported through the Investing in Queensland Women Grants, which provide grants of up to $15,000 through 2 rounds of $270,000 per year. Find out more about the Investing in Queensland Women Grants.