One in eight police call outs to domestic violence incidents are related to abusive and violent behaviour by teenagers, according to local youth violence expert Tanya Langford.
But according to her, “WA is lagging behind with very little available to help these families and to teach these teens better ways of handling their anger”.
Ms Langford recently announced the launch of the PAITAV, the Peel Alliance Interventions for Teen Anger and Violence, an alliance of organisations within the Peel region which provide assistance for families experiencing violent behaviours by their teenagers at home.
The alliance aims to gather all services under one banner to make them more visible to the region’s families, and hopefully raise awareness about the issue.
The group is now seeking expressions of interest for two of their core programs: Emotional Regulation and Anger Management, and Step Up for Peel.
Emotional Regulation and Anger Management is an eight-week program aimed at 12 to 15 year-olds who experience issues regulating their emotions and managing their anger.
The service is facilitated by Down South Therapy and requires participants to provide a GP referral in order to lock down a spot in the program.
The Step Up program is aimed at families who experience youth abuse and violence at home.
During the ten-week-long program parents and teenagers come together to tackle the underlying causes of their anger in order to solve the ongoing violence.
This is the first time the program has been brought to Western Australia, following its success in Victoria and South Australia.
The program is delivered by Peel Youth Services and Relationships Australia, and has been backed by the City of Mandurah through their Community Assistance Fund.
For more information about any of the programs call Peel Youth Services on 9581 3365.