Yesterday the 2025 Adolescent Violence in the Home (AVITH) Symposium took place. The event brought together practitioners, researchers and real-life advisors to explore intervention strategies, systemic challenges and ways to create lasting change.
It raised critical questions about whether current legal interventions are truly effective in supporting young people and their families or whether alternative, more therapeutic approaches are needed.
AVITH is a complex issue, and there is no one-size-fits-all intervention that is effective. An increasing number of therapeutic programs and services are being developed to offer dedicated support for young people who exhibit violence towards parents, carers and siblings, with a focus on addressing the underlying causes of the behaviour.
OzChild’s Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is one of these programs.
FFT is a family intervention program that supports adolescents with behavioural problems. The evidence-based program has supported and strengthened many adolescents and their families. FFT focuses on understanding the drivers of adolescent violence, working with the whole family to create sustainable change and providing trauma-informed, strength-based support.
It is stories like Angela’s* that show the real need for programs like FFT. Angela knows first-hand the devastating effects of adolescent violence in the home, having just completed OzChild’s program with her teenage sons.
Having escaped a violent partner, Angela relocated with her boys to start fresh. Life was looking promising, they had settled in a new town, and Charlie* and Billy* were adjusting well. Then Angela noticed a change in her eldest son’s behaviour.
Young people who have experienced or witnessed violence in the family home can often find themselves following in similar footsteps.
Angela is like thousands of women and children across New South Wales who have been affected by a form of violence. Without the right support, families can feel trapped in a cycle of fear, frustration and isolation.
Every day, OzChild’s highly skilled FFT practitioners work with families in Sydney, the Central Coast, and regional NSW, helping them navigate challenges and find new ways to communicate, resolve conflict, and heal together.
Parents and carers who once felt hopeless are gaining confidence, learning to set clear and healthy boundaries and seeing positive changes in their child’s behaviour. Young people who were struggling with anger, frustration, and emotional outbursts are developing better-coping skills, recognising their triggers and finding healthier ways to express themselves.
Families who have engaged with the program often share that they finally feel heard, supported, and empowered to move forward, FFT’s tailored, family-centred approach is proving to be the turning point they needed.
The impact is clear: by focusing on strengthening relationships rather than punishment, FFT is helping families across NSW find a path forward together.
Through ongoing support, we are not just changing behaviours—we are changing lives.
If you would like to learn more about OzChild’s FFT program, please visit: https://www.ozchild.org.au/service/functional-family-therapy-fft/
Despite the evidence, funding decisions too often prioritise managing immediate demand rather than investing in proven solutions that reduce pressure on systems over time. Dr Lisa J. Griffiths shares her thoughts during Child Protection Week.
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