One of Wagga's key domestic violence campaigns will not be evaluated until the end of 2021 despite recent figures suggesting domestic violence reports are rising.
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The DV Project: 2650 is part of the NSW Government's $20 million Domestic and Family Violence Innovation Fund focused on education, training and raising awareness of the issue.
While recent figures released in the latest Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research report stated a 25.7 per cent rise in domestic violence reports in Wagga over the past two years, the project is not due for independent evaluation until December 2021.
Wagga Family Support director Jenna Roberts said the rise in reports did not necessarily mean the DV Project: 2650 was unsuccessful, and that evaluations of such initiatives were ongoing by those directly involved.
"Evaluation is obviously always essential to any program like this, or for those around mental health and other situations," she said.
"But it is important to realise these recent figures are not necessarily suggesting the incidence of domestic violence is up."
Ms Roberts said the figures themselves were a potential indicator of how Wagga's domestic violence support avenues were tracking.
"When evaluating issues such as domestic violence, we tend to look at things like the number of AVOs issued by the courts - while that may look bad on its own, it actually shows people are getting help which is a positive," she said.
"Other factors are what we hear on a day to day basis from women coming to us for support, and how often they are coming to us as well."
Wagga has a vast multicultural presence, with many people resettling in the region from overseas or even larger cities.
It is important to reach out for help, there's no shame in that, and you will get the support you need when you need it.
- Jenna Roberts
Ms Roberts said the education they provide to women resettling was also a potential contributor to the rising reports of domestic violence.
"We talk to a lot of women arriving in Wagga about what entails a healthy relationship, and a lot of people don't realise that things like not having access to finances or not being allowed to leave the house are forms of abuse," she said.
"So part of those figures could be that these women are now realising that they are in a negative situation and then coming forward about it," she said.
Director of Women's Domestic Violence Support at Wagga Family Support, Nani Coulter, added that the range of support services available could be prompting more reports.
"People are becoming more and more aware of the trusted services available to them here in Wagga so they feel comfortable in getting that help," she said.
A Department of Communities and Justice spokesperson said, in total over the past four years, the NSW Government has invested $431 million in domestic and family violence.
"Reducing the number of domestic violence reoffenders by 25 per cent by 2023 is also a Premier's Priority," they said.
"Efforts to reach this target include driving behaviour change, early intervention with offenders and increasing compliance through proactive policing."
In other news:
Ms Roberts said programs like the DV Project: 2650 were well on their way to helping achieve the government's goal.
"There's definitely a range of factors across the city like the DV Project which are helping to bring attention to the issue on a broader scale," she said.
"We do think an increase in reporting it is a good sign.
"It is important to reach out for help, there's no shame in that, and you will get the support you need when you need it."
For confidential advice, support and referrals related to domestic and family violence, contact:
- RESPECT - 1800 737 732
- NSW Domestic Violence Line - 1800 65 64 63
- Men's Referral Service - 1300 766 491