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In
some homes there is violence.
Violence
can mean hitting, yelling or calling
names.
Sometimes there is
pushing,
kicking and breaking
things. This is called Domestic
or Family Violence.
When this happens, adults and kids can
feel really scared and unsafe.
If there has been violence in your home there are some helpful things to know.
It
is OK to feel angry at times, but it is not OK to hurt anybody. It is very
wrong to hurt and frighten someone else. Nobody deserves it.
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SAFETY
People
who use violence hurt others and make people feel unsafe. That is not right. We
all have the right to feel safe all of the time.
If possible talk to a trusted adult about what to do when things are unsafe at
home. This is called a safety plan.
Some ideas for a safety plan might include.
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Go
to your room and do something that you like
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Read,
play or draw
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Go
to a friend's or neighbour's place
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Call
the Police on 000 for help
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You can't stop the violence from happening. You might get hurt too.
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IT'S
NOT YOUR FAULT
Domestic Violence is not your fault, even
if you are blamed or you blame yourself. Only the person who is being violent
can stop the violence.
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of page
TALK
TO SOMEONE YOU TRUST
When
you feel sad or frightened it is important to talk to someone you trust. Nothing
is so awful that we can't talk about it with someone.
Who could you talk to?
Some
kids talk to:
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Mum
or Dad when, or if it is safe |
A
Grandparent
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An
Aunt
or Uncle
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A
Neighbour
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A
Teacher
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Friends
of Mum of Dad |
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A
School
counsellor
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The
Baby
sitter
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Kids
Helpline www.kidshelp.com.au
or 1800 551 800
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If
one person doesn't listen, ask someone else.
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THINGS
TO DO
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Trace
your own hand on a piece of paper and write the names of people you trust in the
fingers.
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Write
a poem or a story about how you feel or what you are thinking.
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Use your imagination to travel to a safe and happy place. Draw or write about
your special place.
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Make a list of all the things you are good at.
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DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE RESOURCE SERVICE
There
is a place in Townsville called the Domestic Violence Resource Service. The
workers at this place are there to help people who have lived with violence. It
is their job to listen to how people feel and to talk about the things that can
be done to stop the violence from happening.
There are workers especially for children who have lived with violence, and for
the person who looks after them. This part of the DOMESTIC VIOLENCE service is called the
Aardvarc Program.
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ABOUT
AARDVARC
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Acknowledgment |
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And |
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Aardvarc
means : |
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Recognition
of
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Violence
affects kids as well as adults.
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Domestic |
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Kids
thoughts and feelings are important too.
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Violence |
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We
all need someone to talk to.
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And
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We
all have the right to feel safe all of the time.
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Real |
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Violence
is wrong.
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Change |
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Some of the
things we do at Aardvarc:
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Talk
with kids about |
- Violence
- Safety plans
- Feelings
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Answer
kids questions
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Listen
to what kids have to say
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Share
information and ideas
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Play
and have fun
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Paint,
Draw, Make things, Read, Listen to music
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If you would like to come and see what our place looks like, or want to ask us
about it, you are very welcome.
Please
talk to an adult that you trust about phoning us or coming in to see us.
Our address is:
4th
Floor, Northtown on the Mall, Flinders Street, Townsville
Our phone number is:
4721
2888
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