Youthlaw has been very busy advocating for the rights of young people in the areas of family law and family violence.
Family law review
We made a submission on how young people can access the law when it comes to family matters (eg. divorce, custody and property settlements). Unfortunately, the current family law system is not very accessible for vulnerable young parents, who don’t get a fair outcome because of how family law appointments are structured and how overwhelming accessing the courts can be when they already have so much on their plates. Read Youthlaw’s Submission to VLA family law review.
Royal Commission into Family Violence
Youthlaw has also made a submission to the Royal Commission into Family Violence, where we drew attention to the strong, evidence-based links between children being raised in homes where they experience family violence and later risk factors (including homelessness, mental health issues, alcohol and drug issues and criminal offending). The long-term psychological effects of family violence on children and young people need to be addressed.
We recommended some changes, including:
- Teaching young people about respectful relationships, family violence and human rights
- Ensuring school counsellors, psychologists and well-being staff are trained and available to help young people in schools
- Funding for youth specific services and refuges to support young people who have experienced family violence (including in the country)
- Starting a well-known online and phone service to help young people who are experiencing family violence
- Family violence screening & data collection so the long-term psychological impacts of family violence can be known and addressed
- Funding for community legal centres to provide more comprehensive legal assistance to young people experiencing family violence
Read Youthlaw’s submission – Royal Commission into Family Violence