Listening to young people's experiences

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This resource was created with and for children and young people who have lost a parent to domestic homicide (when one parent or their current partner murders the other one).

Losing a parent to domestic homicide can change all aspects of your life. Children and young people are naturally strong and resilient, but you may also feel confused, scared and alone. You may also experience different challenges at different moments of your life.

Everyone’s experience is unique, and what works for you might not work for others. Still, you may also want to learn about others who have gone through a similar experience.

Because of this, we prepared this resource with help from young people and adults who have lived experience. We don’t want to tell you what you are supposed to feel or do. Instead, you will find stories from people from different backgrounds and places in Australia, who survived and thrived after losing one or both of their parents.

We hope this resource can help you feel connected to others with a similar experience and find the strength and help that you need.

We are always keen for feedback and to connect. See ‘more about this resource’ below for our contact details.

  • More about this resource

    Our team is mainly based on the lands of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia's First People and Traditional Custodians. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

    How to cite this resource: [AUTHORS] (2021) . [NAME OF RESOURCE]. The University of Melbourne. [LINK].

    The audio snippets in this resource were created in collaboration with participants from our study: How can we improve support for young people and families who have lost a parent due to domestic homicide?

    Bit about copyright?

    The tile images are courtesy of ...

    The creation and publication of this resource was funded by an ARC Future Fellowships grant.

    We would also like to thank the following collaborators who made key contributions to the development and revision of this resource (in alphabetical order): NAMES. We also thank everyone who has provided feedback on this resource.

    This resource is still in development. We are keen to hear your thoughts on how we can improve it. Please contact Associate Professor Eva Alisic or Dr Katitza Marinkovic.

  • Are you looking for help?

    Here are some good places to start:

    • Kids Helpline: https://kidshelpline.com.au or phone 1800 55 1800
    • Life Line: https://www.lifeline.org.au or phone 13 11 14 and
    • Beyond Blue: https://www.beyondblue.org.au or phone 1300 22 4636.

    These services are all free of charge. With your caregiver, you can also go to your doctor (GP) to ask for a “mental health treatment plan” to get support from a mental health professional in your area. We are also happy to talk with you about options for finding help. And if you are in contact with your local Victim Support organisation, they will know of options too.