Domestic violence toolkit prepares to go national

In Australia in 2021-22, more than one in four women in Australia had experienced family and domestic violence (FDV) since the age of 15, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
 
And of those women, more than one in five will have made their first disclosure of violence to their GP.
 
When it was first launched in 2019, Yourtoolkit, a free web-based resource for those facing FDV was recommended as a ‘useful resource’ for GPs, says Dr Wei-May Su, Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Abuse and Violence in Families.
 
Now, as the Western Australian-founded website prepares to go national in the coming months, it has grown into a much more ‘robust’ offering, she said.
 
‘It’s really great to see those resources have developed further since the last time that I saw them,’ Dr Wu told newsGP.  ‘I think they've set up a really beautiful website, which helps it to be really pragmatic.’
 
Available in 10 languages, Yourtoolkit was developed by people facing abuse and those working with them to be a step-by-step guide for people to try to change their situation, or to safely leave.
 
It provides accessible, practical information on matters including personal safety, support and referral services, money matters, a coercive control self-assessment tool and state-specific legal advice on protection orders.
 
While national services such as 1800 Respect and The Line are included in the Yourtoolkit Support Service Directory, the only state or territory-based services currently included are WA-based.
 
Despite this, 65% of Australian users come from other states and territories, says Yourtoolkit.com chair Elisa Fear.
 
However, the directory is being expanded to include services from all Australian states and territories by May 2026, ‘and if possible, sooner’, she said.
 
‘We know it’s of value to your GP community,’ Ms Fear said.
 
Much data shows that people are at heightened risk of DV when they try to leave a relationship. The AIHW reports that female intimate partner violence homicide victims are more likely to be killed during a period of intended or actual separation.
 
With this in mind, Yourtoolkit has ‘particularly helpful’ advice on preparation and safety plans for anyone considering leaving a relationship, which is also a great resource for GPs, says Dr Wu.
 
‘In the situation where a person is leaving intimate partner violence, I think it has some really excellent practical suggestions about how a person might plan and be safe in the process of that,’ she said.
 
‘But it also helps a GP be able to offer appropriate advice about that as well, which I do think general practitioners can sometimes feel anxious about, not knowing exactly how to best support a person leaving a DV situation.
 
‘So it was really great to see those resources had developed further.’
 
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