I was talking to a woman recently, who had been in and out of an abusive relationship. She said it took her many years to understand why she kept returning to her husband. But in the end she began to see that the trauma and abuse she had experienced were connected to the cultural messages […]

‘If you don’t laugh, you will cry.’ This is something I probably repeat to myself on a daily basis. I’m lucky to share my office with two people who I can laugh and joke with very comfortably. They see me on my good days and my bad days. Sometimes, on a difficult day, a simple […]

One of my colleagues at Bonnie’s, Babs, has two children aged 9 and 5 and a shift-working husband… Babs is a Family Worker and, like many parents juggling multiple commitments, she is a hardworking woman prone to giving herself a hard time. A few months ago, Babs arrived at work, upset, after a chaotic and […]

In the field of domestic and family violence work, we refer to people who CHOOSE to use violence as a form of power and control over others as perpetrators. Because it is a choice. A perpetrator of domestic/family violence is 100% responsible for their choice to use violence and abuse against others. It can be […]

I come from Vietnam. When I sit around the table with my family there, we talk about the day-to-day struggles faced by the poor, such as finding work and health care. In a world where many people’s basic needs are not being met, who has time to talk about feminism? Many of the women we […]

I came to Bonnie’s as a temp having been retrenched.  I thought I only needed work but the universe taught me otherwise, that I needed the refuge of Bonnie’s too and how wonderful Bonnie’s is at supporting all who walk through its doors. Many who have been retrenched will know the ‘your job no longer […]

Who We Are A poem by Milk Crate Theatre Participant, Pauline Trenerry ​ We are hoarders, hiders, helpers, keepers of knowledge. Experts in cheap meals, low fares/no fares, St Vinnies, Missionbeat, the Salvos. Multitudes who parties ignore Chained to Centrelink, psychiatrists, social services held in boxes labelled Bludgers, Disabled, The Unemployed Moved on, pissed on, […]

I first came to Bonnie’s as a student and one of the things I love about working here is the emphasis on learning. I have never worked for an organisation that encourages self-development like Bonnies does. Not only am I learning something new from my colleagues every day but I am encouraged to attend as […]

Bonnie’s works with women and children who have experienced violence and abuse. However there are many organisations that work with male perpetrators of domestic violence. Some programs aimed at changing the violent behaviour of men toward their partners are having significant success. According to research by Monash University and Violence Free families, 65 per cent […]

Love is a powerful influence in our lives. But, as I have found, writing about love is not an easy thing to do. People have so many different experiences that shape their perspective on what love means to them. Love comes in all different shapes and sizes: romantic love; the love of a child; the […]

Those of us working in the field of domestic and family violence frequently hear survivors ask self-blaming questions such as: “Why did he do this to me?” and “Why does this keep happening to me?”. Helping survivors make sense of their experiences is part of the work we do. The most important point is that […]

I grew up in a small town in Tasmania, as part of a Lebanese family… Being different is hard work when you’re a kid. Not only did I look different, but my family was different, my food was different and my culture and beliefs were different. Been teased was part of the daily ritual at […]