We run workshops and education programs with people of all ages from TAFEs/Vocational Education, universities and community groups. While much violence prevention education work is centred on young people, this program acknowledges that people of all ages may be or have experienced family violence or may have perpetrated family violence, and that family violence needs to be addressed throughout our wider communities. 

The focus of this program is to raise awareness of family and intimate partner violence in heterosexual and LGBTIQ+ relationships with a view to a ‘whole-community’ approach to prevent violence. We aim to empower people to challenge widespread beliefs and attitudes that enable violence and support friends or colleagues who are experiencing or have experienced violence. We can also explore strategies to engage people who have caused harm in accountability and behaviour change. 

About the Workshops 

In our workshops we create space for discussion and critical thinking around relationships, interpersonal/intimate violence,  sex and consent, gender and sexuality and ways to confront and respond to interpersonal violence.

Our workshops for TAFEs/Vocational Education, universities and community groups are tailored specifically to the needs of the particular group. We work with people from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds and viewpoints. We deliver content related to participants’ lives, discussing their experiences and knowledge of family violence in order to provide tools to challenge violence and violence enabling attitudes. 

We also deliver content relating to participants’ future professions and roles, building skills to assist people to recognise, respond to and support people they work with who may be experiencing family violence. 

We believe that violence prevention needs to involve an analysis of our own values, and to challenge the attitudes and myths that enable and perpetuate a culture of family violence and sexual assault. All of our workshops involve participant reflexivity, collaborative dialogue and the exploration of participants’ thoughts and beliefs. 

We will work with your organisation to determine which topics we will cover to respond to your specific aims. We are able to run small group workshops or present to larger lecture-sized groups. These sessions can be single-session or run across multiple weeks. At minimum our workshops run for 90 minutes. 

We also offer professional development for community sector workers and TAFE/VE/University teachers.

Some of the topics that we can cover include:

  • Frameworks for understanding widespread family violence, including violence within LGBTIQ+ relationships - expanding on an intersectional feminist approach, unpacking queer theory, and exploring hierarchy and entitlement thinking

  • Exploring power and control in both friendships and intimate partner relationships, within gendered dynamics and LGBTIQ+ relationships

  • Challenging violence supporting beliefs and attitudes including myths about abuse/violence, gender and power

  • Recognising and responding to violence and understanding risk

  • Supporting people experiencing or who have experienced violence, safety planning and where to seek help, healing, resources and services

  • Recognising and responding to people who have caused harm including accountability and behaviour change strategies

  • Critical thinking around relationship expectations, myths and attitudes about gender, relationships and sex

  • Sexual respect and consent: realities, challenges, empowerment in sexual decision making and respectful sexual choices: a critical discussion around the limitations of the language of consent

  • Bullying and social violence, including racism and homophobia

  • Broader community and social strategies towards violence prevention

  • Constructing and delivering violence prevention, respectful relationships and positive sex education programs: issues, focuses, challenges

  • Transformative justice, community accountability and the limitations of the criminal legal system in addressing family violence and sexual assault

  • Beyond policing: exploring practices that move away from harm, punishment, and control, and toward practices that empower communities to address harm at the root causes. Understanding why some people and communities do not rely and cannot rely on the criminal legal system for support, and exploring alternatives

  • Collaborative dialogue, creative facilitation strategies and anti-oppression facilitation


Feedback we received from TAFEs/Vocational Education, Universities and Community Groups:                   

  • “Always insightful to have complex and critical conversations”

  • “It was great to share perspectives with everyone and discuss practical personal strategies for change”

  • “Workshop forced me to question and challenge my views/thoughts. Equipped me with vocabulary to bring up and address issues. Clear outline of strategies to help survivors”

  • “Very informative, increased critical thinking, great broad knowledge”

  • “It developed on my learning from our family violence unit, particularly when thinking of practical work with clients” 

  • “Provoked thoughts about complex and relevant issues. Provided action useful for helping others”

  • “Increasing clarity around the issue of violence and equipping us with strategies to manage situations”

  • “Very informative on how to provide support for survivors”

  • “Questions were asked which made me question my own values/ideas”

  • “Open non-judgemental discussion and hearing different perspectives”

  • “The workshop was well tailored to the specific problems/issues our group faces. Excellent/patient/understanding approach/questions”

Cost:

Free or by donation.