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The Women’s Cottage has been supporting vulnerable women and children in the Hawkesbury for over 40 years. The service provides specialist support to women and children experiencing domestic violence, homelessness, financial hardship and other forms of trauma. The Women’s Cottage provides safe, inclusive, and empowering space to support long-term social change in partnership within community.
A very exciting example of this vision is the creation of the Reducing Intergenerational Trauma (RIV) Project that has been developed by The Women’s Cottage in partnership with the Community Bank North Richmond & Richmond of Bendigo Bank. The RIV Project is 10-year social change program aimed at supporting young people in high school to increase their capacity for forming and maintaining safe relationships, to reduce relationship harm and to increase young people’s confidence to reach out for help if needed. The RIV Project’s vision is to create long term social change by reaching every high school in the Hawkesbury over the next 10 years.
Why This Matters
The rate of domestic and family violence remains alarmingly high in Australia, with one woman or child killed every week. What is less known and sometimes overlooked is how these patterns begin: children who grow up witnessing violence at home are more likely to either experience it or perpetrate it themselves as adults. This is how the cycle of intergenerational violence continues.
What is also less understood is how early abuse in relationship starts. Australian research tells us that at least 25% of all young people aged 13 – 18 experience physical or sexual abuse in their teen relationships. This means that at any one time 2,500 young people in our local community could be experience abuse in their relationships.
In response to these issues, the RIV Project provides wrap around support to school communities to support young people, teachers, and parents through safe relationship programs, individual support, group support, mentoring and education.
By reaching young people early, and from a range of perspective the RIV Project aims to directly intervene cycle of abuse and to support young people to sustain healthy relationships in their adult lives. To give young people the skills to critically reflect, communicate effectively, and seek help—empowering them to make safe, respectful choices in their own relationships, rather than repeating harmful behaviours.
A key aspect of the RIV Project is Building Respectful Relationships: Through the NAPCAN developed Love Bites Program delivering it to local High Schools.
What Is Love Bites?
Love Bites is based on best practice standards for education programs as recommended by the Federal Government funded Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearing House and other leading academics in the area of violence against women.
Love Bites has a junior and senior program. Each program includes interactive educational and creative workshops. Love Bites is a flexible model with options to use a full day or multi session delivery approach. The program emphasises the importance of a whole-of-school commitment to respectful relationship education.
Love Bites aims to provide young people with a safe environment to examine, discuss and explore respectful relationships. All Love Bites programming takes a strength-based approach and views young people as active participants who are able to make choices for themselves and their relationships when supported with information and opportunity for skill development.
Example of topics covered in the program include:
- Year 7 – Communicating Mindfully
Covers respectful communication, warning signs of abusive behaviour, power in relationships, upstander responses, and responsibilities around sharing sexualised images. - Year 8 – Respectful Relationships, Bullying and Gender
Addresses jealousy, sexual harassment, homophobia, gender stereotypes, and discrimination. It encourages young people to challenge harassment and seek help when needed. - Year 9 – Love and Control
Explores gender expectations in relationships, the dangers of jealousy and control, recognising abuse, supporting friends, and how to break up with respect.
By gradually building knowledge and skills across year levels, Love Bites Junior lays the foundation for respectful relationships in the adolescent years and beyond.
Creating Change in the Hawkesbury
The RIV Project of The Women’s Cottage, is leading this work in our region. Through the development of the RIV Project, the provision of Love Bites and other wrap around support activities The Women’s Cottage is ensuring that the next generation is not only aware of the dangers of relationship violence but also actively building the skills to prevent it. Also, as part of the program The RIV Project is starting its first young women’s group in term 4 2025. Contact The Women’s Cottage to find out more on 02 4578 4190.
This is about more than education—it’s about prevention, protection, and creating a safer future for all Hawkesbury families.
How You Can Help
For the RIV Project to reach its full potential in the Hawkesbury, it needs the backing of the whole community. Schools can open their doors to the program, parents can talk to their children about what they’ve learned, and local businesses can show leadership by supporting the The Women’s Cottage in funding and expanding this vital work. There are many different ways you can directly support The RIV Project. If you are interested in finding out more, please contact The Women’s Cottage manager, Maria Losurdo on 02 4578 4190.
Together, we can help break the cycle of violence and ensure our young people grow up with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to build respectful, safe, and loving relationships.
