Community unites as youth drives domestic violence message home

HUNDREDS of school children in Ballina have taken part in the domestic and family violence march with the Ballina-on-Richmond Rotary Club, hoping to promote generational change in the region.

The schools and Rotary club members were joined by the police, emergency services and other volunteer groups for the march between River Street and the Ballina Indoor Sports Centre.

The Northern Rivers branch of Zonta were among the advocate groups at the march, which was part of an international movement that calls for equality, education and an end to gender-based violence.

Ballina group member Anne Flanagan said she was seeing generational change with the number of schools at the event.

 

“That’s where we need to start in getting the message across, particularly with boys and young men,” she said.

“This didn’t get spoken about in the past and even if you aren’t directly affected by domestic or family violence, you’ll know someone who is.

“Our group works alongside and supports other organisations in the region who are doing the same.”

The Ballina Rotary Club has run the event for six years.

It focused on youth this year with the addition of a school leaders breakfast.

The club has a partnership with Ballina Coast High School, where it runs its Love Bites Respectful Relationships program.

School captains Clem De Vos, CJ Dodgson, Rachel Dick and Ernie Guy were among the speakers as the community gathered inside the sport centre after the march.

 

“We know about 40 per cent of youth are exposed to some form of violence and it can have a real impact on their lives,” event organiser Dave Harmon said.

“It’s about addressing the issues and helping us with early intervention and the support mechanisms we can put around young people.”

Other guest speakers included Dr Bridget Mottram from the NSW Police Force.

Mottram is the strategic policy and project manager for Coercive Control in the Domestic and Family Violence Command within the force.

Her role involves implementing and refining strategies to address coercive control and supporting victims through the court process.

The march took place last week.