‘Safe at home’ in their own right: Reimagining crisis service responses to domestic and family violence through children’s eyes

The aim of this study was to better understand the experiences of children and young people in accessing crisis services, including safe housing, after experiencing domestic and family violence. Specifically, the study aims to explore whether crisis responses, including housing services, are meeting the needs of child victim-survivors, and specifically, whether young people feel safe, heard and supported.

Listening to children’s lived experiences of domestic and family violence is fundamental to understanding how systems can better meet their needs for safety, stability, and recovery. Reflecting this, the project involves in-depth interviews with children and young people who have experienced domestic and family violence in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia, and have accessed 54 Reasons services. The project also involves a small number of interviews with 54 Reasons practitioners to provide professional insights to complement and contextualise findings from interviews with the young victim-survivors.

In October 2025, Dr Kate Fitz-Gibbon joined members of the 54 Reasons leadership team and Ikea Australia at Parliament House in Canberra to present preliminary findings from this research at an event hosted by Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Ged Kearney, as well as Kara Cook MP, Pat Conaghan and Anne Hollands. The discussion centred on what young victim-survivors of domestic and family violence want and need from crisis and recovery supports.