Ahead of the 2025-26 Federal Budget, Jesuit Social Services has published its pre-Budget submission, highlighting opportunities for Government to target spending and policy-making, prioritising reach, strategies and programs that support children, young people and their families to live safe and healthy lives. In our second pre-Budget piece, we focus on the need for further investment into research to better understand perpetration of violence, and increased funding for targeted early interventions.
Gender-based violence is one of the most critical issues facing Australia. In our recently published Federal Pre-Budget Submission, Jesuit Social Services calls for increased investment in early intervention strategies, more rigorous data collection, and expanded research into the perpetration of violence against women and children. Without a comprehensive understanding of the factors driving gender-based violence, efforts to prevent it will remain fragmented and inadequate.
Jesuit Social Services welcomes the recent statement by Australia’s Commonwealth Commissioners and Ambassadors calling for stronger engagement with men and boys to address gender-based violence, support healing for children and young people who have experienced violence, and strengthen evidence-based prevention efforts. While government spending on preventing and responding to men’s violence has increased in recent years, the scale of current efforts does not match the scale of the problem Australia faces.
For decades, Jesuit Social Services has advocated for systemic, evidence-based approaches to prevent violence against women and children. This led to the 2017 launch of The Men’s Project to lead efforts in reducing violence and other harmful behaviours among boys and men, improving their wellbeing whilst keeping communities safe.
Last year, The Men’s Project released the ‘Man Box 2024’ research report, conducted in partnership with Respect Victoria, which explores the association between adherence to traditional masculine norms and the prevalence of specific forms of violence. This research highlights the societal norms and pressures that shape male behaviour—what it means to be a “real man”—and the devastating consequences that adherence to these norms can have on men, as well as on the wellbeing and safety of women and children around them.
The study revealed deeply unsettling patterns: nearly 30 per cent of male respondents admitted to perpetrating physical or sexual violence against a partner; and the men who most strongly agreed with the Man Box rules were 17 times more likely to have hit their partner.
These findings underscore the need to broaden existing approaches to violence prevention, reinforcing the pivotal role of prevention and early intervention in challenging and dismantling harmful narratives of masculinity.
The Men’s Project’s upcoming Adolescent Man Box study, which will explore attitudes toward masculinity among boys aged 13 to 17, represents a vital step in this direction. By examining how societal attitudes shape behaviours and mental health at a formative stage, the research aims to identify opportunities to intervene before harmful patterns become entrenched.
Equally critical is recognising the intergenerational nature of violence. Our data from 2023-24 reveals that 74% of participants in our adult justice programs and 53% of those in our youth justice programs reported being a victim-survivor of family violence at some stage in their lives. While experiencing violence does not guarantee the perpetuation of future harm, the link between victimisation and perpetration presents significant opportunities for early intervention. By working directly with boys and young men—particularly those who have been victims of violence or who are already displaying violent attitudes and behaviours—through targeted early intervention programs, we can help break the cycle of harm.
Policy responses must evolve to reflect these realities. Jesuit Social Services’ Federal Pre-Budget Submission makes clear recommendations, including healing programs for survivors, stronger online child protection laws, and expanded prevention measures for child sexual abuse.
Engaging men and boys is not only a matter of preventing violence; it is also an opportunity to redefine masculinity in ways that promote equity, empathy, and understanding. By fostering healthier identities, we can create a society where men and boys are empowered to reject harmful norms that put all genders at risk, and to contribute positively to their families and communities.
Australia’s commitment to addressing gender-based violence must be bold and uncompromising; the stakes are too high for incremental change. Through the expansion of research and the implementation of targeted interventions, we have the tools to create transformative progress—if we are willing to act with urgency and purpose.
