At Youth Off The Streets schools, students affected by domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) don’t have to navigate the challenges alone.
With a dedicated DFSV specialist at each school, students can access tailored support from someone who understands the complex realities they face. In 2025 alone, 177 students received individualised support from the DFSV team.
For Kirsty, a DFSV Educator and Support Specialist, that support starts with something simple: building trust.
“First and foremost, there needs to be a lot of relationship building with students,” says Kirsty. “A lot of the time you’re out on the floor, being present and available in and outside the classroom and helping students with things that are happening in the playground.”
The trust Kirsty builds helps create an environment where young people feel safe enough to disclose violence, abuse or other challenges impacting their lives. From there, support is tailored to each student’s circumstances.
“I’m essentially like a caseworker,” she says. “I have one-on-one sessions with young people and identify the services that can help them.”
That support includes helping a young person navigate the legal or housing system, connecting them with counselling and specialist services, developing safety plans with them, supporting them through child protection processes and coordinating care across multiple agencies.
“It’s very individualised support that depends on what’s going on for each person,” says Kirsty. “For example, I’ve supported three young people experiencing homelessness – I recently helped get housing for one who had been living in a tent for three months.”
Alongside this one-on-one support, our DFSV team also deliver Power Within, a ten-week education program that teaches students how to recognise the cycle of violence, understand warning signs and develop strategies for safety and communication.
ABC NEWS: School program Power Within encourages teens to break the cycle of domestic and family violence
But support for young people impacted by DFSV doesn’t end when a crisis is resolved or they graduate from school. A unique part of our support model is ongoing aftercare, helping young people remain connected to support networks and services beyond their time at school.
“It’s about making sure those young people know where they can get help,” says Kirsty.
Erin’s* story: When trust opens a door
One of the young people Kirsty supported was Erin*, who initially disclosed physical and verbal violence. It was only after trust had been built over time that she felt safe enough to share her experience of sexual abuse.
“Once that trust was there, she was able to make those disclosures,” says Kirsty.
Following the disclosure, Kirsty worked closely with Erin to build her confidence in engaging with police and helping her feel comfortable providing a statement. That ultimately led to the perpetrator being arrested.
But for victim–survivors, an arrest is often just the beginning of a long and complex legal journey.
“Erin then had make court appearances,” says Kirsty. “I helped her understand what that process would involve, making sure she was communicating with detectives and ensuring she was connected with the counselling that was most relevant to her situation.”
The court process was lengthy and Kirsty supported Erin the entire time.
“There are always ups and downs,” says Kirsty. “There were Apprehended Violence Orders (AVOs) in place and through all of that we were also trying to ensure she maintained her school attendance.”
A team around every student
At Youth Off The Streets’ seven special assistance schools, youth workers, psychologists, educators and our DFSV specialists work together to create a web of care around each student. Through daily debriefs and close collaboration, school staff work together to ensure students are supported while respecting their privacy.
This collaboration is vital for keeping young people engaged in school. As well as supporting educational outcomes, school attendance helps ensure there are trusted adults keeping an eye on students’ wellbeing and responding when concerns arise.
“On their own, certain details might not seem concerning,” says Kirsty. “But when similar observations are being made by different staff across the school, it can build a clearer picture that something is going on for that young person and that they may need support.”
At Youth Off The Streets’ seven special assistance schools, youth workers, psychologists, educators and our DFSV specialists work together to create a web of care around each student.
The gaps in support
Youth Off The Streets operates the only schools in Australia with dedicated DFSV workers on the ground.
In 2025, 70 per cent of students attending our high schools had been directly impacted by DFSV. With domestic violence being a leading cause of youth homelessness and other forms of complex disadvantage, the need for specialist support has never been clearer.
What’s more alarming, says Kirsty, is that every student she has supported had already disclosed abuse at their previous school. In many cases, little to no support followed.
“In most mainstream schools, staff don’t necessarily know the kind of support they should be providing to these young people,” she says. “Teachers are trained as teachers. You’re asking them to do something they don’t necessarily have knowledge around or have the time to support and manage appropriately.”
This is why Youth Off The Streets is advocating for stronger training and support for youth sector workers through programs such as Taking Action Creating Change Together (TACCT).
Age-appropriate, early support is especially critical for young people, says Kirsty, because their brains are still developing. Therapeutic interventions and positive relationships can help interrupt the long-term impacts of trauma and create new pathways to safety, stability and recovery.
But the impact of this work isn’t measured solely by practical support provided, improvements in wellbeing or court outcomes against perpetrators. It’s also reflected in the way young people begin to advocate for themselves and others.
“It’s common to see young people who have received our specialist DFSV support calling out bad behaviour they see in school or flagging warning signs with me,” says Kirsty. “They start to become leaders within the school because they understand what’s right and wrong.”
“If they’re doing that now, imagine what they can do when they leave school and are out in the community.”
