Hope

Johnathon’s home is not a happy one. But, as he soon learns, there is always hope that things might change. ‘Hope’ was written to provide children in family violence homes with a sense of hope and to lessen the traumatic effects of their living situations. It aims to help children voice their concerns and their fears, and to express these with an adult or adults they trust such as a family member, teacher, caregiver or the police. Too often, children in these environments blame themselves for the violence in their homes and take on the burden of shame and guilt. This book aims to reassure children that family violence is never ever their fault and that there is also hope that things might change. ‘Hope’ was developed with the assistance of FVREE (Free From Family Violence) and Anglicare Victoria to support adults on how to provide a safe and supportive response when children share their experiences of family violence. The book emphasises that children are never to blame for family violence and that the accountability lies with the person choosing to use violence. ‘Hope’ includes a Safety Plan developed by FVREE that can be used by health professionals working with children, early years educators, teachers and family members or friends who might know a child that may be experiencing family violence. A range of supporting documents are available to download from the Level Playground website.