Name
: Bursting the Bubble
A website designed to highlight
and support teenagers who are suffering or suffered abuse.
Domestic Violence and Incest
Resource Centre
The website was developed by
The Domestic Violence and Incest Resource Centre (DVIRC) in Victoria, which
aims to prevent violence but promote non –violent but respectful behaviour. Their
goals are to improve the quality of services to victims, be informed of policy
and research, raise community awareness and promote violence prevention.
Relationship violence is
defined as being common in Australia it is a pattern of abusive behaviour,
which can lead to a person taking control of another person and undermine a
person’s confidence and prevent their ability to leave the relationship. Abuse
may take many forms sexual, spiritual, economic social and emotional, severity
and frequency of the abuse can occur.
DVIRC believe that relationship
violence is a denial of human rights and can cause, significant harm.
Relationship violence requires
social change and a political response. Change in society takes time especially
in ethic or minority groups, and people
must be given a safe place of refuge and the law must respond with a strong
criminal justice response.
Bursting the Bubble
The website ‘Bursting the
Bubble’ is designed to provide teenagers quizzes, stories from other abuse
victims, as well as advice and support. The site has links to information which
most has been supplied by DVIRC but there are sites which are third party sites
which also offer assistance to abuse suffers in Victoria, nationally and
internationally the assistance given is for all suffers not just teenagers. The
website examines different types of abuse namely domestic sexual and child.
Each abuse is defined as what it is, the facts about it, stories from suffers,
steps that can be taken how to handle it or where you can go.
There are links to prevention,
community government and school education programs.
Resources
The resources available include
books and audio- visual media, but there is no new and emerging technology in
the form of eBooks or audio books and most of the items listed are dated while
this doesn’t mean the material is dated but it can indicate a site not updated
or maintained. The book titles listed and other material can also only be
loaned out in Victoria.
Overall Reflection
This site offers a lot of
support and resources for teenagers and other abuse suffers, but the layout of
the site is poor with a blue background and yellow font while the font size can
be adjusted the colours detract from the importance of the subject being
discussed and there is a concern that this site hasn’t been updated since 2007
and there are no new programs, book titles etc. listed for support.
What I have learned from this
is that teenagers and other suffers need support and community awareness with a
strong response from the law, there are several gaps in my knowledge of this
subject but I am prepared to be part of the awareness program for suffers. The
relevancy of this site it gives suffers a place where they can search for
valuable information or advice but a library can offer up to date information.
