Sexual Violence Prevention Framework
Responsible government
- Queensland
Fourth Action Plan actions
- Respond to sexual violence and sexual harassment
- 13 Prevent sexual violence and sexual harassment before it happens through national and targeted initiatives that promote informed consent, bodily autonomy and respectful relationships.
- 14 Deliver client-centred, trauma-informed, specialised and consistent support to victims and survivors of sexual violence.
- 15 Strengthen the capacity of all sectors to address sexual harassment to ensure women are safe at work, while studying, in public and online.
What are we doing?
On October 15, 2019 Queensland released Prevent. Support. Believe. Queensland’s Framework to address Sexual Violence to provide a strong, cohesive and evidence-based approach to preventing and responding to all forms of sexual violence.
The Framework sets out a clear vision and objectives, brings together current initiatives and programs already addressing sexual violence, and guides Queensland’s future responses.
What have we achieved so far?
To help develop the Framework, the former Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women undertook extensive stakeholder and public consultation from late 2018 to June 2019, including eight community forums across the state, online surveys, specific sessions to hear the voices of victims and survivors of sexual violence, and targeted focus groups on the experiences to specific population groups.
A Sexual Violence Prevention Roundtable was established to provide insight on sexual violence issues, help identify priority areas of need, and provide advice on evidence-based approaches for addressing the causes of sexual violence. The Roundtable includes sector and community representatives, academic experts, and senior government representatives, and is chaired by the Department of Justice and Attorney-General.
Progress has been made towards a number of new initiatives announced in the Framework, including:
- Compulsory delivery of respectful relationships education in all Queensland state schools, through strengthening implementation of the curriculum and ensuring the quality of programs delivered;
- Strengthening a victim-centric focus in the Queensland Police Service;
- Piloting sexual violence liaison officers in the Queensland Police Service in Townsville and Logan districts;
- Launching an online reporting process to provide another avenue for victims of sexual assault to make reports to police. The form also integrates with the Alternative Reporting Options online form that was already available to victims of sexual assault, giving the victim the option of making a formal complaint OR providing information to police without making a complaint;
- Implementing the legislative recommendations from the Queensland Law Reform Commission’s Review of consent laws and the excuse of mistake of fact; and
- Supporting the Queensland Sexual Assault Network (QSAN) to enhance their online sexual violence information hub as a key resource for people impacted by sexual violence.
What is next?
To support implementation of the Framework, a comprehensive whole-of-Government Action Plan to address sexual violence was released in October 2021.
Importantly, in 2021 the Queensland Government established the independent and consultative Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce (the Taskforce) to examine:
- Coercive control and review the need for a specific offence of commit domestic violence; and
- The experience of women across the criminal justice system.
The Taskforce is chaired by the former President of the Queensland Court of Appeal, the Honourable Margaret McMurdo AC and made up of other subject matter experts.
The Taskforce is to provide its recommendations to Government on how to best legislate against coercive control by November 2021, and to deliver recommendations on how to best improve women’s experience in the criminal justice system by June 2022.
Further information on the Taskforce is available at: Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce (womenstaskforce.qld.gov.au).
What difference will we make?
Outcomes the Framework will support include:
- Communities are safe and free from violence
- People who have experienced sexual violence are believed and supported
- Relationships are respectful
- Services meet the needs of all people impacted by sexual violence
- The justice system is responsive to victims and survivors
- Perpetrators are held to account and stop committing sexual violence.