1800 385 578
Skills for supporting community members experiencing domestic, family, and sexual violence in migrant and refugee communities
The Program
In December 2024, Full Stop Australia commenced a 16-month project developing the Safe to Speak program.
The Safe to Speak program aimed to provide social responders with the skills, frameworks, and confidence they need to support survivors in appropriate ways, acting as bridges to specialist services when needed.
What is a social responder?
A social responder is defined as any person who intentionally or unintentionally responds to a victim-survivor of domestic, family, and sexual violence.
Who can be a social responder?
Social responders can be anyone who is influential and trusted within the community. For example:
- a trusted elder within the community
- someone who is actively involved in organising community events
- a religious leader
- local business owners who are connected with the community
Why do social responders matter in migrant and refugee communities?
In migrant and refugee communities, experiences of DFSV are often compounded by a range of factors such as migration stressors, language barriers, and community pressures to preserve family or cultural reputation. Victim-survivors are therefore more likely to seek help from informal sources, including social responders, than from formal services.
Over the course of the project Full Stop Australia, in partnership with Canterbury City Community Centre (4Cs) and Women Up North Housing (WUNH), successfully:
- Facilitated 9x full-day workshops and 2x half-day workshops
- Trained 110 social responders from 26 different cultural backgrounds, across the Canterbury-Bankstown and Northern Rivers areas
- Organised 7x webinars as part of a shared learning space
Funding
The Safe to Speak program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services and is administered by the NSW Office of the Women’s Safety Commissioner Department of Communities and Justice.
Program Artwork
When We Come Together (2025) was painted by Amani Haydar, and commissioned by Full Stop Australia for the Safe to Speak program.
Amani’s artwork represents the program and social responders in migrant and refugee communities and featured prominently on program resources.
 |
Amani Haydar, When We Come Together (2025)
Download the Safe to Speak digital booklet.
The content in this booklet was created by Full Stop Australia as a resource for the participants of the Safe to Speak program workshops. This digital version has been developed for the wider community, and we hope you find it useful.
I wish this program existed 7 years ago when I first moved to Australia.
Seeing the extent of damage caused to victims of sexual and domestic violence is alarming. However, it’s reassuring to know that we can provide significant support to those who need it.