Young, in love and in danger

Responding to conflict and violence in teen partner relationships in Tasmania

This research project investigated the experiences of young Tasmanians who had been abused by a partner when under the age of 18.

It is the first Tasmanian research of its kind and one of few studies nationally.

The aim of the project was to:

understand the prevalence and nature of child intimate partner abuse (IPA) in Tasmania
understand the support and service needs of child victims of IPA in Tasmania
describe current responses to child victims of IPA

I don’t think I had any idea that anything that was happening was avoidable. I thought at that point that that’s just how it is, and that’s what life is like. I thought other people just coped with it better and I just wasn’t trying hard enough. (Hazel)

Content warning:

This research contains descriptions and direct quotes of participants referring to experiences that may be triggering to readers.

The services listed below can be contacted for support:

1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732
Full Stop Australia: 1800 943 539
Rainbow Sexual, Domestic and Family Violence Helpline: 1800 497 212
Family Violence Counselling Support Service (Tasmania): 1800 608 122
Blue Knot (childhood and complex trauma support): 1300 657 380
Well Mob
13YARN for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: 13 92 76
A Tasmanian Lifeline: 1800 984 434
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
Men’s Referral Service: 1300 766 491

If you or someone close to you is in distress or immediate danger, please call 000.

Report brief

Explore an online Research Brief about Young, in love and in danger. It provides an overview of the key findings and recommendations.
Read the report brief

You can also download a copy of the Research Brief.
Download the report brief

Download the full report

The full report of Young, in love and in danger includes findings about:

the conditions that trap teens in abusive relationships
young Tasmanians’ experiences of domestic violence and abuse
the impacts on young people
prevention and response

Download the full report Download the full report (Word version)

Interview with researcher Dr Carmel Hobbs

Hear researcher Dr Carmel Hobbs talk about the Young, in love and in danger project.