State Member for Charlestown Jodie Harrison has called on the State Government to boost funding for the NSW Sexual Violence Helpline, after it was revealed that one in three calls to the service were unanswered.
The NSW Sexual Violence Helpline is a service operated by Full Stop Australia with funding from the NSW Government, providing 24/7 telephone and online crisis counselling for anyone in Australia who has experienced or is at risk of sexual assault, family or domestic violence.
In a pre-Budget submission, Full Stop Australia recently called for $923,701 in additional core funding over four years to cover operational costs, and to meet increased demand for the helpline services.
“The NSW Sexual Violence Helpline is at the front line of supporting victim-survivors, receiving 14,089 calls and online contacts last year,” Harrison said.
“Unfortunately, at current funding levels, 29 per cent of calls to the Helpline were unable to be answered.
“That means almost one in three people who are reaching out for help aren’t able to access assistance through the Sexual Violence Helpline.”
In her role as Shadow Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Harrison advised that “sexual assault is the fastest-growing reported crime category in NSW, increasing by six per cent each year over the last five years.”
Harrison said unanswered calls to the helpline weren’t a result of employees not wanting to help, but because they were overwhelmed by the number of people who were looking for help.
“Today, I’m calling on the Government to ensure that every person who reaches out to the NSW Sexual Violence Helpline is able to access its much-needed support,” Harrison said.
New data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show male sexual assault offenders have increased by 13 per cent over the past 10 years, with 53,570 sexual assault offenders recorded between 2010/11 and 2019/20.
Full Stop Australia’s CEO Hayley Foster said the data highlighted a clear need for long term and consistent funding for sexual violence services across Australia.
“Sexual violence is a major national health and welfare issue, impacting people of all ages, ethnicities and genders, but predominately women and children,” Foster said.
“Everyone impacted by sexual violence deserves to be supported in their safety and recovery.”
Full Stop Australia has coordinated the NSW Sexual Violence Helpline for almost 50 years, supporting survivors and their loved ones to recover after experiencing sexual violence.
“The NSW Sexual Violence Helpline has not received a substantial increase to funding in over 35 years … demand for sexual assault services has continued to grow, yet there has not been a corresponding increase in funding to meeting increased client needs,” Foster said.
Foster noted that there were now strong community expectations that sexual assault services would be available to anyone impacted by sexual violence, and was hopeful the NSW Government would ensure greater funding in the upcoming budget.
Maia O’Connor