Information, Help and Support for Young People

In Tasmania, family violence is when a person makes their husband or wife, partner or ex-partner feel unsafe or scared.

They do this by hurting, frightening, controlling, bullying, intimidating or threatening them.

Family violence is a crime under the Family Violence Act 2004 (Tas).

If a person is physically, sexually, emotionally, psychologically or economically abusive, threatening or controlling, that is family violence.

In Australia, family violence is most commonly a man being violent towards his wife, partner, ex-wife or ex-partner.

Recognising family violence

Examples of family violence include:

• Hitting, kicking, slapping, pinching, punching or pushing
• Smashing, breaking or throwing things
• Yelling, threatening, insulting, saying mean and degrading things
• Hurting family pets
• Forcing the person experiencing violence to do things they don't want to do
• Making them feel scared to talk to their family and friends
  • Not letting them have a job or leave the house
  • Controlling the family's money and making all the decisions
  • Harassing, stalking, following and spying
  • Checking phones, email or social media
  • Forcing them to have sex when they don't want to

If violence is happening in your home, there are lots of ways you can get help. You are not alone.

Family violence is never OK. Family violence is not your fault.

You have the right to feel safe at home.

IN AN EMERGENCY, ALWAYS CALL TRIPLE ZERO (000)

It's NOT OK to feel scared at home. If violence is happening in your home, there are lots of ways you can get help. You are not alone.

Danger

If you or someone else is in danger and you don't feel safe, call Triple Zero (000)

Scared

If you are safe, but feel scared, talking to someone can help.

Talk to someone you know and trust

• Talk to an adult you trust about what is happening and how you are feeling. It could be a parent, family member, teacher, neighbour, a friend’s parent or a coach.
• You might worry about what to say or feel really scared about it. The important thing is that you tell someone even if it's hard to do.
• If the person you tell doesn't help you, then tell somebody else. Don't give up!

Get Help

• If you can’t think of someone to talk to or if it’s easier to talk to someone you don’t know, you can. Services are available to help you and your family.

In Tasmania, under the Family Violence Act (2004), family violence can occur in relationships between two adults or between two people where one or both are aged 16 to 18 years.

Everyone has the right to be respected in their relationships. That means:

• You feel safe around each other
• Its OK to have and express different ideas and opinions
• You can both be yourselves
• You have open and honest conversations, including about wants and needs
• Neither of your are controlling the other person's choices
• You allow space for each other when its needed
• You both can admit when you've made mistakes

For more information about respectful and equal relationships, visit www.theline.org.au

If you are worried about behaviour in your relationship, seek advice, help and support from an adult you know and trust or contact a support service.

There is lots of information and support available online for young people.

Sexual violence is behaviour of a sexual nature directed towards a person that makes them feel uncomfortable, distressed or threatened and to which they have not consented.

Sexual violence includes a wide range of unwanted, non-consensual, traumatic and harmful sexual behaviours, including:

• sexual harassment
• technology-facilitated abuse (EG; sharing nude photos without consent)
• unwanted kissing
• sexual touching
• coercion
• sexual assault including rape
• child sexual abuse

Sexual assault is a crime.

Any sexual contact without consent is sexual assault.

Consent is an agreement between two or more people to engage in a sexual activity together.

Consent is:

• Mutual
• Freely given
• Informed
• Certain and Clear
• Specific
• Ongoing
• Reversible

Just because someone doesn’t say 'no', it doesn't mean they are saying 'yes'. Silence does not equal consent.

A person affected by drugs or alcohol cannot give consent.

A person who is asleep or unconscious cannot consent

A person who is pressured or intimidated into having sex has not given consent

• Everyone is responsible for making sure the other person is comfortable and okay with what is happening.

Am I Old Enough To Give My Consent?

The states and territories have different laws about whether a young person is old enough to give consent.

In Tasmania:

• If you're under 12 years old, a person can’t have sex with you, touch you sexually or perform a sexual act in front of you, even if you consent (agree).
• If you're between 12 and 15 years old, a person can’t have sex with you, touch you sexually or perform a sexual act in front of you if they are more than three years older than you, even if you consent (agree).
• If you're 15 years or older, a person can’t have sex with you, touch you sexually or perform a sexual act in front of you, if they are more than five years older than you, even if you consent (agree).
• If you're 17 years or older, you can consent (agree) to have sex with anyone else 17 years or older.

Remember that any sexual contact without consent is sexual assault.

If you have been sexually assaulted, help and support is available. Talk to an adult you trust or contact a support service.

Talking about what has happened can be really hard but finding a safe adult to talk to can really help.

IN AN EMERGENCY, ALWAYS CALL TRIPLE ZERO (000)

Technology-facilitated abuse include a range of behaviours where technology is used to control, abuse, harass, punish, bully, stalk, impersonate, scare, threaten, coerce and/or exploit a victim-survivor.

Examples include installing spyware on devices; sexting; monitoring; remotely accessing personal devices such as mobile phones or computers; sending threatening and abusive texts or emails; and image-based abuse.

Seeking help

For more information on how to stay safe online visit www.esafety.gov.au/young-people

Image-based abuse occurs when intimate, nude or sexual images are distributed, or threatened to be distributed or shared, without the consent of those pictured. This includes real, altered and drawn pictures and videos.

Image-based abuse may also be referred to as ‘revenge porn’, ‘non-consensual sharing of intimate images’, or ‘intimate image abuse’.

Seeking help

Image-based abuse can be reported to the eSafety Commissioner, who can help get the material removed as quickly as possible and also take action against the person who posted, or threatened to post, an intimate image without consent. Visit www.esafety.gov.au/report/image-based-abuse to report abuse.

Sexual harassment is any unwanted or unwelcome sexual behaviour where a reasonable person would have anticipated the possibility that the person harassed would feel offended, humiliated or intimidated.

Sexual harassment is against the law if it happens different areas of your life, such as if while you're working or while you're at school.

If you have experienced, or are experiencing sexual harassment, talk to an adult you can trust or a specialist sexual violence support service.

Equal Opportunity Tasmania can provide more information or assist you to make a complaint.

Visit equalopportunity.tas.gov.au or call 1300 305 062.

Child Abuse is a crime.

Child abuse includes neglect, physical abuse, psychological harm, sexual abuse and family violence.

You have the right to be safe and cared for.

If someone is hurting you, you are not to blame!

You might feel scared and confused. You might think its a secret you can't tell anyone.

You want it to stop but don't know how. You might feel alone.

Getting hurt, touched or made to do things you don't like is NOT OK!

Getting Help

It can be hard telling someone about what's going on. You might worry you won't be believed.

Its OK to feel uncomfortable or worried about telling someone. The important thing is that you tell someone even if it's hard to do.

Danger

If you or someone else is in danger and you don't feel safe, call the police on Triple Zero (000)

Scared

If you are safe, but feel scared, talking to someone can help.

Talk to someone you know and trust

• Talk to an adult you trust about what is happening and how you are feeling.
• You might worry about what to say or feel really scared about it. The important thing is that you tell someone even if it's hard to do.
• If the person you tell doesn't help you, then tell somebody else. Don't give up!

Get Help

• If you can’t think of someone to talk to or if it’s easier to talk to someone you don’t know, you can. Services are available to help children and young people.
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