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Case studies: Family violence jobs

People who are part of the family violence and sexual assault workforce share how they started in the sector, what their job entails and the fulfillment it provides.

Martha - family violence prevention

“Our program is about trying to get the message out about gender equality and the gender-based drivers of family violence rather than solely focusing on response."

Zoe - refuge support worker

“What I enjoy most is being able to help our women and children envision and plan for a better future that’s full of hope and happiness.”

Michael - policy officer in perpetrator services

“I went from working as a facilitator to establishing and managing a range of community programs. Now I’m working at the next level helping to drive policy direction.”

Charmaine - family violence prevention

“I speak to people one-on-one and run community sessions, working with women’s groups and men’s groups to talk about family violence within the community.”

Hamsa - case manager at InTouch

“My job is never boring – I work with very diverse clients in different situations and with different issues.”

Belinda - family violence lawyer

“I felt that my qualification finally had some meaning for me.”

Alison - policy unit manager

“Being a social worker is very much an intrinsic part of who I am as a policy advisor.”

Loren - practice leader

“We help to create ‘lightbulb moments’ for people in how they understand gender equality and how they can be part of change.”

Russell - advocate in perpetrator services

“The rewarding part for me is when I talk to people or organisations and they say, ‘I didn’t realise this was such a big issue, and I want to do something to fix that now.’”

Ali - men’s behaviour change

“Working with men who use family violence is very different from many other forms of community or social work. It’s about holding people accountable for their actions.”

Amber - case manager

“The most rewarding part of my job is when I have a client that I can work with and support on their journey from what can be such significant risk, to being away and safer.”

Dan - Aboriginal practice leader

“What I love most about my work is helping someone break free from the cycle of violence – it could be the affected family member, or it could be the children.”

Eileen - family violence trainer and educator

“In the classroom I encourage role plays and active discussions about the impact of gender, power, intersectionality theory and the legal and ethical frameworks.”

Leah - sexual assault counsellor advocate

“The fact that you can really work with people and advocate for them to create a lasting change in their lives, makes this such a rewarding job.”

Sarah - victim support services

“When I considered a mid-career change I didn’t realise how many of the skills I already had were relevant to being a case manager.”

Tania - support worker

“Working at a refuge wasn’t what I expected. I thought it would be chaotic and fast-paced; maybe something I wouldn’t be able to handle. But it wasn’t, it was a really calm environment.”

Updated 14 February 2023

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