My name is Tim Richardson. I am a State Member of Parliament in the State of Victoria, Australia, representing the electorate of Mordialloc. I also hold two Parliamentary Secretary roles, including Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier and for Men’s Behavior Change, a national first. Statistics continue to show that most acts of violence towards women are perpetrated by men. Given this, the Victorian State Government saw it essential to create this role, not only as an acknowledgment of this issue but to be clear that men have a responsibility to change their behavior and model respectful behavior if we are to address gendered violence. 

  I have been delegated several responsibilities by the Premier, The Honorable Jacinta Allan member of parliment (MP) and Minister for Prevention of Family Violence, Natalie Hutchins MP. These responsibilities include supporting the Minister for Prevention of Family Violence and key stakeholders in engaging men and boys in the prevention of family and gender-based violence. I aim to do this by working with peak bodies to inform public campaigns targeting men and boys to have positive, healthy and respectful relationships and attitudes. I have also been tasked with working with the Minister for Prevention of Family Violence and relevant Ministers in the delivery of the Women’s Safety Package which includes the landmark ‘saturation model’ in the suburb of Ballarat. Lastly, a key part of my role is in supporting the Minister for Education to assist with the promotion and expansion of the Respectful Relationships program across the government and non-government school’s sector. 

  Effective men’s behavior change programs meet users of violence where they are at and encourage them to understand and unpack their behavior through a holistic approach which takes into consideration factors such as past trauma, mental health and wellbeing. It is important to understand that behaviors take a long time to change, so ensuring users of violence can check back in or are followed up on is important in ensuring continued behavior change.

  We hope that Victoria’s leadership will inspire other regions to appoint a similar role in their governments and take action. Victoria is working closely with victims and victim survivors to better understand how we can put a stop to this violence. There is still work to do with our sector leaders and we continue to make record investments to ensure that the notion of respect which is always lacking in situations where users of violence choose to perpetrate, is engrained and taught in kindergartens, schools, universities, workplaces and beyond. 

  The Federal Government has made significant strides in the social media sphere having recently placed a ban on social media for children under 16. We know that there are significantly harmful impacts on children, particularly young men and boys when it comes to their use of social media and extremist content being circulated. Our Respectful Relationships Program in schools is helping tackle this by teaching respect and encouraging youth to share their feelings and understanding of what it means to hold respectful, healthy views. Agencies like Respect Victoria continue to disseminate online campaigns to further target young people, countering extremist content with informative, educational and engaging content.

  Tackling family violence starts with us men and boys. One woman is killed nearly every week in Australia due to family violence. By no means does this role aim to accuse all men of violence, it simply acknowledges the very important role men have to play in this global conversation as well as the statistics that outline that men are commonly the users of violence. There is a very important mental health and wellbeing intersection which we strongly factor into all our work. With male suicide rates having steadily risen, we need to ensure men feel heard, seen and have a safe space they feel comfortable to express their emotions in. This has been a key focus of the government’s following the release of the Suicide Prevention and Response Strategy last year.