Addressing Church stereotypes, silence, blaming and lack of recognition

“Jan’s grief around her marriage ‘being broken’ and her beliefs that she had ‘betrayed’ her marriage vows and ‘broken her promises’ to God were profoundly influential in her initial inability to accept the priest’s help offered to her. These beliefs were grounded in what some parts of the Church espoused regarding the role of the Church, the Bible, the ‘sanctity of marriage’ and family,” says The Ven. Dr Lucy Morris, Chair of the ACSQ’s Domestic and Family Violence Working Group

Prevention and response to domestic and family violence through the Ten Commitments

“It can sometimes seem as if we are becoming desensitised to domestic murders given the sheer regularity of news stories covering such atrocities. But the February 2020 murder of Hannah Clarke and her three children in Brisbane sent shockwaves throughout the Australian community,” says ACSQ DFV Project Officer Jenny Clark

Ridley College DFV education and training course reflections

May is Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month in Queensland. Several ACSQ clergy and lay leaders recently completed a free self-paced online Ridley College course on domestic and family violence education and effective responding. Three participants share their course reflections, including Bishop Cam Venables, Carole Danby and Jenny Clark

“Let’s acknowledge the good news that domestic and family violence is preventable”

“My involvement in the domestic and family violence space began when my sister, Allison Baden-Clay, was murdered by her husband in April 2012. Her story shocked and gripped the nation. It resonated with people in the community and was in the media almost daily for months. At the time my family wondered why there was so much interest in Allison’s story,” says Vanessa Fowler OAM from St Paul’s, Ipswich and the ACSQ Domestic and Family Violence Working Group

'Love Should Never Hurt' Bible study series

“Domestic and family violence is a significant issue in our society and one which we cannot ignore in our Diocese, including in our schools, parishes and agencies. It is essential that we are able to respond caringly and effectively to those who are affected by domestic and family violence,” says Archbishop Phillip Aspinall

Are we pretending that all is well?

“The difficulty with this approach is that it asks victims and survivors of domestic and family violence and abuse to pay the price for the rest of us to feel ok. They are often expected, tacitly or otherwise, to continue to bear the shame and embarrassment of a less-than-Christian family life so that we can continue to believe that Christians don’t do that sort of thing,” says The Rev’d Gillian Moses while reflecting on the expectation of victims and survivors to remain silent, as Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month approaches in May

Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month