DV advocates call for action as under-18 violence increases

Advocates in Alice Springs are calling for urgent action as they observe a concerning increase in domestic, family, and sexual violence affecting individuals under the age of 18. This trend has been brought into sharp focus by a recent incident where Northern Territory Police arrested a 16-year-old boy for allegedly punching, choking, and pushing his 17-year-old partner to the ground in a local shopping center.

Chay Brown, a specialist researcher in domestic, family, and sexual violence, expressed sadness but not surprise at the incident. She emphasized that domestic violence is a pervasive issue across Australia, affecting all socio-economic classes, cultures, and creeds. Brown stated, "This is an Australian problem and that's why it needs a coordinated national response to address it."

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Domestic violence is a problem right the way across our nation. We find it in all socio-economic class groups, we find it amongst all people of all cultures, of all creeds. This is an Australian problem and that's why it needs a coordinated national response to address it.

Brown further explained that violence is occurring at younger ages, partly due to earlier relationship formation but also as a symptom of wider societal violence. She noted a strong correlation between experiencing violence as a child and perpetrating violence later in life. "We must intervene much, much, much earlier," she urged.

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That's partly because people are getting into relationships earlier, but it's also partly … symptomatic of domestic and family violence in the wider society. There's a really strong correlation between people who experience violence as children, often through the family, and those who go on to use violence. We must intervene much, much, much earlier.

Larissa Ellis, CEO of Women's Safety Services of Central Australia, highlighted that data indicates girls under 18 experiencing domestic, family, and sexual violence represent an emerging need in the Northern Territory. She pointed out the lack of crisis accommodation specifically for this age group in Alice Springs, despite the NT's domestic and family violence rates being three times the national average. "In the Northern Territory, there is very little money spent on prevention or early intervention," Ellis stated, stressing the need to support these young community members.

Michael Liddle, who runs men's behavior programs, attributes the rise in violence among younger cohorts partly to anger among young men and boys. He cited the widening gap between the "haves and the have-nots," which fuels issues like alcohol abuse, jealousy, and a lack of employment and education. This environment, he explained, contributes to increased aggression towards partners and friends, making such violence more visible.

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In the Northern Territory, there is very little money spent on prevention or early intervention. These girls, these women are members of our community, they are valued members of our community and we do need to respond to them.