PCFSV Media

MEDIA RELEASE

17 March 2026

NEURODIVERSITY CELEBRATION WEEK 2026: NEURODIVERSITY BRINGS UNIQUE CHALLENGES FOR FAMILY AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE

During this week’s celebrations of the unique strengths and talents of neurodiverse people in our community, Engender Equality wants to remind carers and general practitioners of the unique vulnerabilities of this cohort.

Engender Equality CEO, Alina Thomas said,
“Research has commonly found that neurodivergent women and gender diverse people are more likely than non-neurodiverse people to experience abuse. (1)

“Violence against neurodivergent women is not just interpersonal but structural and gendered.

“Women with overlapping marginalised identities experience heightened forms of inequality and oppression.

“Autism spectrum and other neurodivergent conditions such as ADHD, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia can increase vulnerability because socio-cultural and structural factors impact their rights and well-being.

“They might have difficulty communicating in social settings, misunderstand boundaries or be unable to make sense of their experience of violence.,” Ms Thomas said.

Possible signs of concern may include a marked change in someone’s usual presentation, such as becoming unusually withdrawn, hyper-alert, distressed or agitated. A sudden decline in mental wellbeing, reluctance to attend a service, or distress in the presence of a particular person may also indicate that something is wrong. These signs should be approached with curiosity and care, particularly in the context of neurodiversity and mental health where distress may be expressed in different ways. Physical injuries such as bruising, scratching, or other unexplained injuries may also be present.

Manager, Primary Care Family and Sexual Violence program, Jess Drew said,

“For carers and practitioners, it is important to avoid assumptions that signs and indicators are attributable to either abuse or to neurodiversity and instead consider both when working with neurodivergent people who may have or are experiencing abuse.

“Consider supporting neurodiverse women and gender diverse people’s healing and recovery by:
• offering safe, affirming and trauma informed spaces to process their experiences
• establishing rapport and trust, by allowing them to explore relationships, sexuality, and safety in a non-threatening way
• assess communication needs and adapt your language accordingly, avoiding leading questions and using neutral opening prompts to help reduce anxiety
• provide an opportunity to see the patient alone or for part of the consultation, as stress in caring relationships can intensify in caring environments and in some
circumstances may increase the risk of harmful or violent behaviour from the caregiver.

“Assess consent carefully and remain alert to the possibility of coercion, particularly where there are differences in communication, understanding or decision-making capacity between the parties.” Ms Drew said.

(1) Fox, J., Carroll, J. A., & Death, J. (2025). ‘… there’s so much within the work that we do where all we kind of need is the space and the safety’: The experiences of Australian practitioners who support autistic survivors of sexual and domestic violence. Autism, 29(10), 2524-2534.

This Primary Care Family and Sexual Violence is funded by Primary Health Tasmania (Tasmania PHN), through the Australian Government’s Primary Health Networks Program. The program is delivered by Engender Equality in partnership with Laurel House.

Media Contact: Alina Thomas 0438 788 291

If you would like to engage a lived experience representative (case study), please see Advocates for Change – Engender Equality, email advocates@engenderequality.org.au or phone: 0415 740 524.

MEDIA RELEASE

6 February 2026

VICTIM-SURVIVORS SHOULD ACTION STRATEGIES TO STAY SAFE ON THE INTERNET

As we approach Safer Internet Day on 10 February 2026, Tasmanian family violence service, Engender Equality is urging women in coercive or violent relationships to take steps to stay safe on the internet.  

Engender Equality CEO, Alina Thomas said, 

“For people experiencing controlling or violent behaviour from a partner or former partner, learning the options that will make you safer online will limit the perpetrators access to your life on the Internet.” 

“Online stalking is a way to exert power and control by creating fear and confusion and often involves alienating the victim-survivor from friends and family, she said. 

“Behaviours can include ‘bugging’ someone’s computer, phone or other device with ‘spyware’ to track computer use without you knowing, hacking social media pages and accessing phones,” Ms Thomas said. 

Fortunately, there are many safety tools for browsing the internet, emailing, and using a phone. Here are some sites that may help E-safety Commissioner or Technology safety and domestic and family… | Full Stop Australia. 

Strategies such as using a ‘safe’ computer through a friend or the public library, never using your real name, getting a second phone, clearing browser history, keeping passwords memorised rather than written down, and changing phone and computer settings to private, can help. 

Legal help with online stalking and other forms of technological abuse is also available. Always keep evidence of online abuse in case an intervention order is needed and forward the unwanted emails to police or a case worker. 

If you would like to interview a lived experience representative (case study), please see Advocates for Change – Engender Equality, email advocates@engenderequality.org.au or phone: 0415 740 524. 

For more information visit the Engender Equality website or phone (03) 6278 9090. 

Ends. 

Media Contact: Alina Thomas  0438 788 291  

MEDIA RELEASE

17 December 2025

SAFE LANDING REQUIRED AS VIOLENCE RISES SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE HOLIDAY PERIOD

Tasmanian family violence service, Engender Equality is calling for awareness and empathy from service providers over the Christmas holiday period when Australian crime statistics and police data show a significant rise in family and sexual violence incidents.  

Engender Equality CEO, Alina Thomas said,  

“It can be a very challenging time for victim-survivors as perpetrator’s use Christmas  

‘arrangements’, particularly in relation to children, to manipulate and attempt to exert control over, threaten, and/or harass a current or former partner.  

“Safe spaces such as work and school are closed, as are services that facilitate safe changeovers for parents who are experiencing post-separation abuse.  

“We ask that when victim-survivors reach out for help from those services there to support them — such as Police, Accident and Emergency, GPs and the courts -they feel believed, supported and protected. 

“The practices and attitudes of the support systems can make an enormous difference to the safety of victim-survivors and their children. 

The following Family and sexual violence support services may also be available: 

For more information visit the Engender Equality website or phone (03) 6278 9090. 

If you would like to engage a lived experience representative (case study), please see Advocates for Change – Engender Equality, email advocates@engenderequality.org.au or phone: 0415 740 524.  

Ends. 

Media Contact: Alina Thomas 0438 788 291  

MEDIA RELEASE

8 December 2025

BUSHFIRE SEASON SENDS MORE THAN THE BUSH UP IN FLAMES

Tasmanian family violence service, Engender Equality is reminding the Tasmanian community that outdated and harmful gendered expectations of both men and women during disasters increases the risk of family violence. 

Engender Equality CEO, Alina Thomas said, 

“Violence against women has been found to increase during and after disasters.  

“Traditional gender roles place expectations on men to provide and protect, and on women to nurture and care for others, sometimes at the expense of their own safety and wellbeing. 

“This contributes to increased violence against women and their children and negative consequences for women, men and LGBTQIA+ people, long after the fire front has moved through. 

“Excuses are made for men’s violence because they may have suffered in the disaster, or because they are seen as ‘good blokes’ and even ‘heroic’.  

“This condoning of men’s violence against women and their children is extremely damaging for disaster survivors. 

“We all have a role to play in disaster planning, response and recovery — including paying attention to the health of our relationships, not just the safety of people and property.”  Ms Thomas said. 

Australian research1 has indicated that domestic violence increased following the 2009 bushfires, and, further, that women’s voices were effectively silenced (Parkinson, 2012). After the Black Saturday bushfires, men, women, and emergency workers all spoke of male behaviours following the traumatic experience of the fires and in their aftermath, that were harmful both to themselves and to those close to them (Parkinson, 2012; Zara & Parkinson, 2013).  

For more information visit the Engender Equality website or phone (03) 6278 9090. 

Ends. 

Media Contact: Alina Thomas 0438 788 291  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

If you would like to engage a lived experience representative (case study), please see Advocates for Change – Engender Equality, email advocates@engenderequality.org.au or phone: 0415 740 524. 

MEDIA RELEASE

22 September 2025

COERCION AND CONTROL THAT LIMITS REPRODUCTIVE AUTONOMY IN THE SPOTLIGHT

On World Contraception Day on 26 September 2025 Engender Equality wants to raise awareness of reproductive coercion, a behaviour that interferes with a person’s reproductive autonomy and is both a form of interpersonal abuse and sexual violence.

Engender Equality CEO, Alina Thomas said,

“These behaviours are usually perpetrated against women by male partners and almost always manifest within a broader pattern of controlling behaviours known as ‘coercive control’.

“Reproductive coercion can be hard to identify because it occurs privately, in a climate of controlling relationships, and involves significant feelings of shame for the victim.

“Traditional gender roles also reinforce men’s propriety over women, remembering that rape within marriage was legal in Australia until the late 1970s.

“Governmental policies and systems that influence or restrict reproductive choices, including those which limit access to termination, create a climate where reproductive coercion can flourish.

“Laws and regulations that interfere with an individual’s reproductive health decision-making cause psychological distress and create real barriers to a victim seeking help.

“Our Primary Care Family and Sexual Violence (PCFSV) Support Service is working with general practitioners throughout Tasmania to support their work with victim-survivors.

“We ask that they treat reproductive coercion with the same gravity and sensitivity you would other forms of intimate partner, sexual or family violence,” Ms Thomas said.

Reproductive coercion can include forcing or pressuring someone to become pregnant or to terminate a pregnancy or preventing someone from accessing contraception. Doing things to stop contraception from working such as ‘stealthing’, the act of removing a condom during sex, or forcing or pressuring someone to undergo sterilisation are also prevalent. Some perpetrators prevent their partners from accessing reproductive healthcare, including screening tests for sexually transmitted infections and cervical cancer (pap smears).

Reproductive nurse, working in primary care, Teagan Atkins, explains;

“If a patient appears intimidated by or afraid of their partner, the patient’s partner speaks for the patient, makes decisions on their behalf or is otherwise controlling, this would be a red flag.

“The patient’s partner may insist on attending routine medical appointments, including consultations on contraception and reproductive health to exert control.

“A patient appearing isolated from other family members and friends or who seems reluctant or regretful about their reproductive health choices, including past pregnancies or terminations may also indicate reproductive coercion,” Ms Atkins said.

 Additional Information

This Primary Care Family and Sexual Violence Support Service is funded by Primary Health Tasmania (Tasmania PHN), through the Australian Government’s Primary Health Networks Program. Engender Equality is a not-for-profit agency leading the program in partnership with Laurel House.

More information can be obtained at https://engenderequality.org.au. More information including how General Practices and Aboriginal Health Services can connect with the service is available at 03 6268 1663, admin@pcfsv.org.au or www.engenderequality.org.au/pcfsv.

If you would like to engage a lived experience representative (case study), please see Advocates for Change – Engender Equality, email advocates@engenderequality.org.au or 0415 740 524.

Ends.

Media Contact: Alina Thomas           0438 788 291