Telopea Park School kids shave for the brave

On 17 October 2022, nine Telopea Park School students will be shaving their heads to raise awareness and vital funds for Canberra’s Domestic Violence Crisis Service (DVCS) https://dvcs.org.au/

Domestic and family violence does not discriminate. It impacts all ages, genders, cultural, ethnic, religious, and socio-economic groups. Family, domestic, and sexual violence is a major health, welfare and social issue that can have lifelong impacts on victims and people who use violence.

In Australia, an estimated 17% (1.6 million) women and 6.1% of men (703,700) over 18 years of age had experienced domestic and family violence since the age of 15 and 16% of girls (1.5 million) and 11% of boys (991,600) have experienced abuse before the age of 15. (Source: ABS Safety Report 2016)

Every year in Australia, there are around 129 homicides from domestic and family violence. Intimate partners represent the majority of victims (56%), followed by children (21%), parents (12%), siblings (3%), and other family members (8%). (Source: Australian Institute of Criminology)

While domestic and family violence occurs across all ages and genders, it is most commonly carried out by men against women who are their current or former partners. In Australia:

• More than one woman is killed every week on average by a partner or former partner.

• Domestic and family violence results in one woman being hospitalised every 3 hours.

• Women are nearly three times more likely to experience partner violence than men.

• Women are 8 times more likely to experience sexual violence by a partner than men.

(Source: https://dvcs.org.au/the-facts/faqs/)

Globally, one in three women worldwide experiences physical or sexual violence mostly by an intimate partner. Emerging data and reports from front-line services across the world have shown that instances of domestic violence against women and girls have intensified since the onset of Covid-19. (Source: UN Women The Shadow Pandemic: Violence against women during Covid-19 2020)

“The Royal Commission into Family Violence identified the critical role that schools and early childhood education have in creating a culture of respect to change the story of family violence for future generations.” (Source: Reform Delivery: Respectful Relationships, 2021)

This team of little Aussie legends are banding together towards better safety outcomes for the Canberra community and hope you will join them in raising funds for the critical frontline service that is DVCS.

Give a little or a lot – every dollar counts! Thank you in advance for your support!