Nearly two years after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared violence against women a national crisis, new data suggests the scale of the problem is not only persisting but intensifying. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of family and domestic violence offenders processed by police rose by 8 per cent last year—the sharpest annual increase recorded since national data collection began in 2019.
Police processed 97,800 offenders over the last year, with men accounting for 78 per cent of those figures. While experts suggest that increased public awareness is driving higher reporting rates, the numbers underscore a systemic failure to curb the roots of gendered violence. In response, the Victorian government is testing a different theory in regional Victoria, where Ballarat takes unique approach to using $9.8 million in domestic violence funding to stop the cycle before it begins.
The initiative, known as Respect Ballarat, represents a strategic shift from a “response-based” system—which focuses on crisis intervention and policing after an assault—to a “prevention-based” model. Launched following the high-profile deaths of three women in the city in quick succession two years ago, the program aims to dismantle the social conditions and cultural attitudes that enable violence.
The ‘Saturation Model’ of Prevention
At the core of Respect Ballarat is what organizers call a “saturation model.” The goal is to embed consistent messaging regarding gender equality and mutual respect into the fabric of everyday life, targeting the places where men and women gather, work, and socialize.
Respect Ballarat was established in response to the deaths of three Ballarat women. (ABC News)
Rather than relying on a single awareness campaign, the program distributes funding to community-led projects. Recently, Respect Ballarat announced 11 grant recipients tasked with addressing the drivers of violence. These include:
- Trade and Construction: $200,000 allocated across two programs specifically for the construction industry, a sector often characterized by rigid masculine norms.
- Local Athletics: Nearly $100,000 for a “Respect Round” within a local football and netball league to engage sporting communities.
- Early Family Support: Almost $100,000 to help new families establish healthy, respectful relationship patterns from the start.
The program also targets the psychology of masculinity. Initiatives have included a forum on hyper-masculinity hosted by Mitch Brown, the first openly bisexual player in AFL history, and the “What Kind of Man Do You Want to Be?” campaign, which encourages men to redefine success away from unhealthy social pressures.
The What Kind of Man Do You Want to Be? campaign encourages men to reflect on the social pressures. (ABC News: Laura Mayers)
The Paradox of Rising Incident Rates
Measuring the success of prevention is notoriously difficult because, in the short term, “success” often looks like an increase in terrible news. In Ballarat, for the year ending December 2025, recorded family violence incidents rose slightly to 2,953, up from 2,926 the previous year. Help-seeking requests to support services also increased.
Helen Bolton, CEO of Respect Ballarat, describes these figures as concerning but argues they are a necessary part of the process. She suggests that as community messaging increases, victims are more likely to identify their situation as violent and feel empowered to report it.
“If we see a sustained investment in prevention work in Ballarat, or in any region, we know that help-seeking statistics — including reports to police, or calls to support services — will increase before they go down as people begin to understand more and identify violent relationships,” Bolton said. “Changing attitudes and behaviours is long-term work, and we sadly won’t see a reduction overnight.”
Helen Bolton says changing societal attitudes towards women requires a long-term commitment. (ABC News: Steven Schubert)
Scaling a Local Model Nationally
The $9.8 million provided by the federal Labor government is spread over four years. However, Bolton warns that generational change cannot be bought with a four-year grant. Citing international evidence, she argues that driving down violence rates requires a concentrated, sustained effort over at least a decade.
Micaela Cronin, the Domestic, Sexual and Family Violence Commissioner, believes the Ballarat model offers a blueprint for the rest of Australia. The approach is already informing the South Australian Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence. Cronin has previously criticized national efforts as “fragmented,” arguing that prevention must begin in childhood to be effective.
However, some frontline advocates warn against over-relying on prevention at the expense of current victims. Ash Milne, program manager of WRISC Family Violence Support, notes that while the tenets of the Ballarat model should be embedded nationally, prevention does not reduce the immediate, crushing demand on the “response system.”
According to Milne, frontline services—including courts, police, and housing systems—are currently operating under high and complex demand. She argues that continued investment in these response systems is critical to ensuring the immediate safety of victim-survivors while the slower work of prevention takes hold.
Micaela Cronin says there are consistent recommendations that demand to be implemented urgently. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)
As Respect Ballarat continues its trial, the organization is now seeking philanthropic and additional government support to extend its funding window to 10 years, aiming to move the city from a state of crisis response to a sustainable culture of respect.
If you or someone you know is affected by family or domestic violence, support is available. In Australia, you can contact 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Lifeline (13 11 14). In an emergency, always call Triple Zero (000).
We invite readers to share their perspectives on community-led prevention models in the comments below.
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