Shifting community attitudes and behaviours
We are working with the Queensland community, schools, businesses, religious and sporting organisations to drive a significant shift in community attitudes and behaviours together.
Through our collective efforts, we will embed respectful relationships and a zero tolerance approach to domestic and family violence (DFV) throughout the community so everyone—everywhere—feels safe, supported and protected.
Creating cultural change
We are progressing initiatives to challenge and change cultural attitudes and behaviours that contribute to the cycle of violence and keep DFV behind closed doors.
Current key initiatives include:
- developing and implementing the Queensland women’s strategy 2022–27
- developing and implementing the DFV prevention engagement and communication strategy 2016–26
- developing and implementing the Coercive control communication framework 2024–27
- developing a standalone DFV perpetrator strategy to further strengthen and guide a whole-of-government approach to preventing and responding to persons using violence
- implementing the Queensland Government response to the Women's Safety and Justice Taskforce recommendations, including
- reviewing and enhancing Respectful Relationships education in Queensland schools
- developing and implementing Queensland's plan for the primary prevention of violence against women 2024–28
- reviewing the DFV media guide.
Key initiatives we have delivered:
- established the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce to examine coercive control and review the need for a specific offence of ‘domestic violence’ and the experience of women across the justice system
- developed and implemented the Queensland women’s strategy 2016–21
- developed and published the DFV media guide
- established the Queensland Domestic and Family Violence Death Review and Advisory Board
- expanded the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month community grants program
- became a member of Our Watch
- partnered with Our Watch to pilot a whole-school approach to Respectful Relationships education in 10 Queensland state primary schools
- developed a survey to measure Queenslanders’ attitudes towards DFV
- partnered with the Griffith University MATE Bystander program’s free Be there app which allows direct access to tools that empower, educate and support a bystander in assisting someone who is experiencing DFV.
Leading the way for Queensland workplaces
DFV is a workplace issue. Workplaces can play a significant role in influencing long-term cultural change in our community.
We are leading the way for Queensland workplaces in sharing insights and resources that promote violence prevention in the workplace, support employees affected by DFV, and promote a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace culture.
Current key initiatives include:
- creating a more inclusive and diverse workforce through the Queensland public sector’s Inclusion and diversity strategy 2021–25
- the Queensland Government calling on the corporate sector and community organisations to pledge their commitment to act against DFV.
Key initiatives we have delivered:
- implemented the workplace package available for all workplaces to adopt and tailor
- introduced DFV leave for government employees
- fostered transformative workplace culture and initiatives to champion positive and healthy workplaces
- developed and implemented the DFV prevention corporate and community organisation engagement framework, setting a high-level vision of the work to be undertaken in partnership with the Queensland Government and corporate and community organisations to create safe and supportive workplaces and community hubs, to create lasting change to end DFV in Queensland
- partnered with MinterEllison, DV Connect and Challenge DV to strengthen Queensland workplaces' response to employees who use or may use violence and abuse
- partnered with Challenge DV to implement the Recognise, Respond, Refer eLearning program within agencies
- developed and implemented the Queensland public sector’s Gender equity strategy 2015–20
- participated in the White Ribbon Australia Workplace Accreditation program.